Global fashion scene receives influx of 'Afro-lux' design from Nigerian creator
In the heart of Lagos, Nigeria, lies Alara – West Africa's first fashion and design concept store. Founded by Reni Folawiyo, a trailblazer in the African luxury fashion scene, Alara has been forging the "Afro-lux" movement for a decade.
Reni Folawiyo, the wife of business magnate Tunde Folawiyo and daughter of former Western Region attorney general Lateef Adegbite, finds inspiration for Alara's design from Yoruba culture, Senegal, and Ivory Coast. Her mission is to put design from the continent on equal footing with established fashion giants.
The success of the industry, according to Folawiyo, ultimately relies on "passing on knowledge to future generations." This philosophy is evident in Alara's homebase, which plays between tradition and modernity.
Alara's collaboration with the Brooklyn Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is a testament to Folawiyo's belief in partnering and collaborating with institutions of repute to platform designers outside Africa. She finds it not enough to just occupy the occasional runway.
Nigerian designers supported by Alara in these collaborations include Lisa Folawiyo and Orange Culture, notable names in the West African fashion scene. The store's offerings extend beyond fashion, with NOK, the restaurant behind Alara, led by Senegalese chef Pierre Thiam.
NOK's prices are more affordable than Alara's wares, balancing luxury and affordability in Nigeria. A green dress from Nigerian brand Eki Kere, for example, retails for 325,000 naira (about $210) at Alara. However, a table from Senegalese-Nigerian studio Salu Iwadi can fetch up to 10 times the price of the green dress.
West African design is having a moment, and Folawiyo is at the forefront of this movement. Getting others to see her vision of African-born luxury was a struggle when she first attempted to launch Alara. But with pop-up stores and exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum, and Nigerian music stars like Burna Boy, Tems, and Ayra Starr gracing the Met Gala in New York, dressed by British-Ghanaian designer Ozwald Boateng, it's clear that her vision is being realised.
Folawiyo organises fashion shows abroad, including at Barbados's CARIFESTA XV. She believes that a lot of beautiful things made in different parts of Africa were not celebrated as they should be, and through Alara, she is working to change that. The latticework on the building's exterior of Alara is based on adire textiles, a popular Yoruba ethnic group textile in southwest Nigeria, a testament to her commitment to celebrating African art and culture.
