Regina Aso Oke Is Redefining Traditional Wedding Fashion In Nigeria
The traditional wedding is a popular phenomenon all around Africa, especially in parts such as Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria. The ceremony is culturally important because it focuses largely on the merging of the two families, where the bride is given a special importance, as it is believed that her unborn child is representative of the two families truly coming together.
In Nigeria, the traditional wedding is especially significant and does not fall short of the extravagance and importance of the white wedding, as culturally (and ridiculously), marriage is seen as an achievement. Typically, in Yoruba culture, the bride wears ‘iro’ and ‘buba’ to her traditional wedding, in aso oke fabric, which is embellished to style and taste.
Traditional wedding attire is experiencing a paradigm shift, as usual traditional styles can be seen as boring and outdated in modern times. Fashion creative Regina Akingbade recognises this, and thus created a fashion line, Regina Aso Oke, that catered to Nigerian traditional wear.
With intricately woven fabric and innovative embellishment, this has taken bridal wear into new fashion heights, with silhouettes that flatter any figure or body type. We spoke to the founder about the brand’s growth and what to expect in the future.
Question: What would you describe your role as in the fashion industry?
Regina: I am a Fashion & Textile Designer, currently focusing on the Nigerian traditional wear material; Aso oke.
What led you to Aso Oke designs?
After moving back to Nigeria, I found out that weddings were a big deal and there are weddings literally every weekend. After going to a few and seeing photos of a few on social media, I noticed that a lot of the designs were very similar and I thought to myself ‘if I got married today, what would I want to wear?’ I couldn’t find it anywhere, so I decided to create it myself.
Nigerians are heavy on tradition, how did they respond to your new and innovative designs?
So far so good, I believe Nigerians are starting to understand the concept of ‘less is more’ and see that there is so much more you can do with Aso Oke. People want to stand out on their wedding day, they want something brand new and this is it!
How would you like the wearer to feel in your designs?
Classy, regal and extremely beautiful!
What is your creative process?
At the moment, my brand is bespoke. So, no piece is the same and the client’s individual needs are met. After my client tells me what they want or don’t want, we work together to come up with a silhouette and the textile design, and then that vision is brought to life.
What should we look forward to from you in the future?
More beauty in handcrafted design, in ways you’ve never seen before!
