In Europe, Italy to be precise, they are commonly seen as the ones who peddle trinkets and bags on the corner, but never in designer suits.
Wale oyejide, the creative director and brains behind Philadephia-based African fashion brand, Ikire Jones, is also an Afrobeats musician, writer and attorney.
Being an immigrant himself, the Nigerian-born designer began his journey into the fashion industry as part of a personal creative evolution.
Without any formal education in fashion, his designs are sometimes inspired by Kanye Wests’ lyrics and the latest collection from Ikire Jones is themed ‘After Immigration’.
The West African models and asylum seekers, Abdoulay, Gitteh and Madi were scouted from a local settlement organization that houses asylum seekers.
The collection seeks to portray African Immigrants as real and employable people with stories like every other human.
In contrast to popular African-themed fashion editorials where the models are impoverished and posing in a sad background, these models were dressed up in really cool suits in the streets of Florence, Italy to portray their elegant side.
‘After Immigration’ also aims to tackle the lack of diversity and black models in high end fashion by proving that men like Abdoulay and his friends can be found in many parts of the world.
The models were also featured when the collection was displayed in Italy’s Pitti Uomo Fashion show.
This editorial shoot shows the many holes in not only the fashion world but also immigration policies.
All Ikire Jones pieces can be shopped here: www.Ikirejones.com
Check out their Twitter page for more interesting photos: @IkireJones
There will be by-elections in Cross River and some states other in Nigeria on December 5, 2020, and we’re counting down to the elections. We have written about everything you need to know about the by-elections and all the candidates in the Bayelsa West and Central Senatorial by-election. In Cross River state, the death of […]
Women are often overlooked in conversations about marital infidelity, thanks to the notion that women aren’t very inclined to cheat on their spouses. I spoke to six married women who have had relationships without their husbands’ knowledge. They had some pretty interesting stories. Editorial note: This article was updated to include Chidinma’s entry which was […]
Today’s subject on Abroad Life moved to Canada over a year ago. She talks about how she successfully migrated and became a permanent resident in nine months and why for some people, she thinks it’s better they stay where they are. First things first, where are you right now? Canada. I’ve been here for over a […]
Are you a single pringle, stuck in a complicated situationship or happily married to the love of your life? This quiz is here to guess your current relationship status, and as you know, Zikoko quizzes are incredibly accurate (don’t quote us). So, give a shot:
We already guessed how many people you’ve slept with, and y’all were out here denying the truth. Anyway, we won’t hold that against you. This time, however, we’ve created a quiz that predicts who you’ll sleep with next — so you can either prepare or try (unsuccessfully) to prevent it. So, take and see:
Last month, we thoughtfully made a quiz telling you guys exactly when you’ll marry, but some of you claimed that your spouse was nowhere to be found. Well, now we’ve created one that’ll tell you exactly who you’ll be dragging down that aisle. Take and start planning that wedding: 11 Quizzes For Nigerians Who Are […]
We are a few days into 2020, and we all know that with a new year comes a brand new body count. So, we’ve created a quiz that knows how many people will help you fill up your quota before 2021 rolls around. Take to find out:
While this might seem like a relatively easy quiz, there’s a tiny twist. We are challenging you to correctly identify all the capitals of Nigeria’s 36 states without singing that song we all learnt in primary school.
Kemi Adetiba’s King of Boys movie got a lot of things right, especially casting, so yes, it was a monster hit. Now, we know you may not have put much thought to this, but the personalities of some of the characters closely match yours, and we would like to help you find the perfect match. […]
Remember the Nigerian boy who was seen doing ballet pirouettes barefoot and in the rain, in that viral video? Well, he’s been offered a scholarship by the prestigious American Ballet Theater. With the help of American actresses Viola Davis and Cynthia Erivo, the video garnered 15 million views, ultimately leading to Anthony Madu being offered […]
Nigeria is a shitty place for those who live here, many seek an escape route. But, amid the insecurities, bad economy, and the uncaring government, some things happened this year that make us feel thankful. Yeah, we know, hard to believe right? Yet we need to end the year on a positive note, so here are some […]
We got an expert mixologist to help us bring one of our sponsored VRSUS videos to life by mixing varieties of chapman. Little did we know she was also a chef until we got in a conversation with her, while sipping our sublime drinks; no they were not spiked. Apparently, Yetunde Anikulapo Kuti, professionally known […]
Nigerians are yet to come to terms with the fact that cats can be pets but now have to deal with the fact that someone thinks a lion is tame enough to have as a security guard. Reports now confirm that a two-year-old lion was discovered in a residential building in the Victoria Island area […]
The 8th edition of the popular beach soccer tournament, Copa Lagos held throughout the weekend at Eko Atlantic, VI. It had us loving the opportunity to immerse ourselves in enjoyment. You should know by now that we can’t pass up a chance to get the ultimate weekend experience. And you know the fun part? We […]
I have always heard stories about how one has got to be sharp if you are walking on the streets of Lagos so you don’t end up saying, “Had I known,” to your friends and family while crying tears of blood. Oftentimes, I laughed it off, because who could be sharper than someone born in […]
In case you went under the rock this weekend then you MISSED. There was a lot of excitement for our Nigerian superstar musicians and the spotlight was on them, big time. From the much anticipated Headies award, to the birth of Davido’s son, Naira Marley’s legwork and his subtle shade at the organizers of the […]
While Nigeria is busy engaging in a lot of shenanigans that are not moving the country forward in any way, Rwanda recently established the first smartphone manufacturing plant in Africa — Mara phones. This is a feat that has been a longtime coming and I can’t help but applaud it. What about the Giant of […]
Leather, as I have always known it to be, is a flexible material gotten from tanning animal skin. It is used to make most fashion items (shoes, clothes, bags, wristwatches), furniture, book covers and more. Cattle hide and reptile skin are the most popular skins used for leather but now there is a new kid […]
Tiwa Savage is in the news again for being number one ni Africa bad girl who comes with fire. Apparently, Charles Anazodo, media personality and sports analyst, got his pressure so high over the fact that Tiwa didn’t say Ello baby o, how do you do? He proceeded to narrate the whole incident on Twitter […]
What happens when a group of chatty young Nigerians talk about things they're passionate about? You get Nigerians talk. A show that discusses very familiar struggles for the average Nigerian. From relationship deal breakers to sex education with Nigerian parents to leaving Nigeria, be prepared for a ride.
Life is already hard. Deciding where to eat and get the best lifestyle experiences, isn't something you should stress about. Let VRSUS do that for you.
Who doesn't want to find love? In our bid to help, we paired up a bunch of single Nigerians, sending them on an all-expense paid date, and interviewing them before and after they met.
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Here's a rabbit hole of stories to lose yourself in:
What happens when a group of chatty young Nigerians talk about things they're passionate about? You get Nigerians talk. A show that discusses very familiar struggles for the average Nigerian. From relationship deal breakers to sex education with Nigerian parents to leaving Nigeria, be prepared for a ride.
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