Different people see fashion in different ways depending on their perspectives. Many define it as a popular or latest style of clothing, hair, decoration or behaviour. For some persons, fashion is a statement. Some see it as beautiful clothing. Some others refer to fashion as simply being comfortable in whatever you wear, while yet others see it as a lifestyle.
But whatever you perceive fashion to be, one thing that cannot be denied is that fashion is dynamic. It evolves.
For the Benin (Bini) people of Edo State, South-South Nigeria, who are well-known to be fashionable in every sense, fashion plays an important cultural role and contributes significantly to the economy. The Benin traditional attire has been known to exude royalty and beauty at its peak.
The Oba of Benin, the custodian of the Benin culture and tradition, wears an elaborate attire from head to foot with deep cultural roots. With the exception of the Iyerhuan and Akhuankhuan made of Ukponmwinanido (local cloth), every other thing the Oba wears is either red coral or ivory beads. The Iyerhuan, a large item of regalia, is a peculiar type of handwoven white cloth by the royal guild, Owina-Nido.
In the olden days, the most common attire of the Benin people was sack and wrapper stylishly cut into “Buba” for the women and “Shokoto” for the men.
Although the fashion trend in Benin has evolved over time with new clothing designs, ornaments and accessories from various fashion brands and houses, the Bini traditional attire remains largely the same. Men wear white top and above it a multi-coloured stripe fabric, beautifully accompanied by a cap or hat, which is most times beautified with coral beads or fabric. Women tie wrappers made from a variety of fabrics such as velvet, lace and George. This is then complimented with a blouse or a beaded cape popularly known as “Ewu-Ivie”. The women also adorably adorn their hair with traditional beads and hair brass pin which leave them totally stunning.
Today, casual attire is commonly worn but formal and traditional styles are also worn depending on the occasion.
Many celebrities have been known to express their love for the Bini regalia. An example is the popular Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, who wore it to the BBNaija launch on 20 July 2020. Also notable Nollywood actresses like Mercy Johnson-Okojie, Mercy Aigbe, and Nancy Isime have been sighted donning the Benin attire to various prestigious events at home and beyond.
Benin boasts of many talented fashion designers who are sustaining the tempo of the evolving fashion industry by creating elegant pieces that satisfy today’s tastes. Our Top 5 for the week include: IOB Fashion Empire owned by Iredia Osatohanmwen Blessing; Tribalmark Fashion owned by Paul Otoibhi; TeejaysCouture owned by Anthony Jatto; TeteClothing owned by Netete Osaiyuwu, the first brand to make the Royal Quadruplet outfit of Benin Kingdom; and AgbonsPrada owned by Agbonita Glory Ehizuenien, easily the best product out of Edo State to the outer world.
