The Nigerian photographer Oye Diran has brought back ’70s Yoruba fashion in a new series for culture magazine Nataal. Titled “A Ti De,” Yoruba for “We Have Arrived,” the series is a celebration of vintage iro and buba styles as well as hair. The idea came to him when an aunt sent him a photo that demonstrated the high style of Yoruba women in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. When he searched online and couldn’t find more, he then recreated them.
“Yoruba fashion has evolved in different ways over the last few decades but has always maintained its authentic look,” Diran told the BBC. “I feel we started seeing more of its modernisation from the 2000s up until today. For example, in the 1960s the length of the iro ended right above the knees. Today the length of the iro can go as far as the feet. We see influences from other fashion trends around the world on Yoruba fashion,” he said.
The series comes with a video featuring the three models, set to Kizz Daniel’s song “Eko.”
See the series HERE.
