‘A festive occasion without lace is unthinkable’
A robber who is about to be killed, asks to be dressed in some of the finest cloth of the time. He is then shot and the once-elegant cloth is stained by his blood. In this context, lace then became an unlikely shroud. It can be argued that the robber was more elegant as he […]
A robber who is about to be killed, asks to be dressed in some of the finest cloth of the time. He is then shot and the once-elegant cloth is stained by his blood. In this context, lace then became an unlikely shroud. It can be argued that the robber was more elegant as he lay dead, than he had ever been in life. This whole event which dramatically captures the robber’s fondness for the material and an awakening sense of beauty occurring deep within him highlights the passion many Nigerians have for lace. The fabric, produced largely in Austria and Switzerland, is worn by millions of Nigerians.
It is amazing that a small community in Austria can produce enough lace to satisfy the Nigerian market, made up of many millions. This is truly food for thought for Nigeria as she enters her 51st year. Lagos has since become the capital of the African lace trade and a high proportion of Ijebu women from Ogun State engage in it. When a Nigerian lace merchant was to be given a title in 1979, it was as though the entire lace producers of Lustenau had temporarily relocated to Nigeria, for they came in great numbers and were adorned in the finest glowing materials to grace the event. Such are the close ties that exist between Austria and Nigeria. Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation magazine describes lace in these words: ‘It is very artistic, very glamorous, and very flamboyant.’
General Gowon wore lace when he was military Head of State, and with Victoria, his wife, also played a role in making it the major dress-code of the immediate post-civil war years in Nigeria. Sometime in the 1970s General Olusegun Obasanjo, who was Head of State, had cause to ban the sale of lace in the country. This was on account of his government’s wish to encourage local textiles. There was also government’s disapproval of certain offensive forms of lace such as Wonyosi, which revealed parts of the body.
Lace arrived Nigeria in the 1960s and by the 70s the passion for it took on epic proportions, even as and it was and still is the preferred mode of dress for weddings and big social events. Among the Yoruba of the South-West, whose passion for lace is unparalleled, ‘spraying’ money at events also became very common when the fabric became fashionable. One critic wrote: ‘Spraying developed as a phenomenon of modern Nigerian society and became common, for example, at weddings or wherever Juju music was played, the couple or the musicians are praised by being showered in an almost ceremonial fashion with banknotes.’
This rich 255-page book, which has a picture of Chief Modupe Obebe of Abeokuta on its cover, a major lace merchant at a point, is based on interviews and field studies conducted in both Lustenau in Vorarlberg in Austria and also Lagos and its surroundings. The tome is a joint effort made by Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) and the Museum of Ethnology, Vienna. It has a total of sixteen chapters and is aided, some would say laced, by very engaging prose as well as photographs provided by some of the nation’s major photographers, such as Okhai Ojeikere.
Many eminent critics, lace enthusiasts and lace lovers, both at home and abroad, make sterling contributions to the work. Among these include Barbara Plankensteiner, Nath Mayo Adediran, Elisha Renne, Sola Olorunyomi and Kunle Bakare. Then there is the unforgettable section of the work where Nigeria’s fashion designers show what they have been able to do with Lace. The stunning pictures of the models showcasing their creative efforts are visually pleasing. Top on the list are Ituen Basi,Frank Osodi and Tiffany Amber.
Back to Lustenau, it is a community in Austria which produces most of the lace which is imported into Nigeria today. It has a total population of 22,000 persons, and it is remarkable that it produces tonnes of lace which directly feeds millions in the Nigerian market. On this, Sabine Haab, Director-General, Museum of Ethnology, Austria, wrote: ‘A product (lace) that defines the appearance of Nigerians around the world, and contributes in keeping a thriving Austrian industry alive.’
Haab continued: ‘The elegant appearance of African women is quite familiar from my youth: not because I ever travelled to Africa, but because Nigerian businesswomen are a frequent sight on the streets of certain towns in Vorarlberg. In Nigeria, a festive occasion without wearing embroidered textiles – referred to there as lace – is almost unthinkable.’
There is in the book a commendable section on celebrity reporting, which is akin to asking how the fabric has fared in the media. This section of the work features pictures taken from magazines which reveal celebrities wearing lace. It’s all very colourful and elegant. The book African Lace, through rich prose style, friendly print and captivating pictures, is a must-read.