The making of the Afri-Love collection, part II: Asoke

Part I showed some of the behind-the-scenes work on the “Coffee” feature of the upcoming Afri-Love collection, using ebony and brass. The collection will have a limited edition of bags including the Atoti bag made of kitenge and Asoke. Here are some Asoke from Adele’s collection, bought from West African Traders in Nairobi.

Below is some information about Asoke, from the Africa Imports Blog:
Asoke cloth is crafted by the Yoruba ethnic group of Nigeria and has been woven for hundreds of years in one form or another. Archaeological sites such as Ife reveal looms of great antiquity. The cloth is very sturdy and is mostly reserved for religious rituals, funerals, and very formal occasions. A favorite wedding garment for a groom is the agbada, a tunic or robe created from asoke fabric.

Originally, the pieces were either deep indigo, a natural beige silk, or an imported magenta silk weave. Today, the strands of cotton, polyester, rayon, silk, lurex, and acrylic are all merged on narrow strip looms into long, thin pieces of fabric.

Traditionally, the weavers were men, but women have begun learning the trade as well. The strips are sewn together to create a piece of fabric unique from all others ever created. At times, an artist doesn’t have quite enough of one strip, and will add a totally different one to even things up. In yet more artistic whimsy, pieces may come hemmed, partially hemmed, or totally unhemmed. The open work, embroidery, shine, design, textures, and color work together for a textile unlike any other that is impressive and artistic.

View more photos on our Facebook page and stay tuned to the blog to see the finished Afri-Love pieces. Sign up to our RSS feed or to receive posts by email to make sure you don’t miss a thing.

The collection launches on Friday 30th September. Find out more information on launch events and special offers.