Abẹokuta: The real home of Adirẹ tie-dyed clothes
The technological scenario in which the China based clothes manufacturers had partly succeeded in taking over the mass production of Egba traditional way of clothing people has necessitated for the proper documentation of the history and genesis of Abẹokuta's Adire/Kampala clothes.
The Editor of Encyclopedia of Clothing and fashion who is also the Director of Fashion institute of Technology (FIT), State University of New York museum, in United States, Dr. Valerie Steele and Fashion and clothing expert, Angela Sancartier, traced the origin of Adire tied and dyed clothes to Abẹokuta, the State capital of Ogun State, South-west of Nigeria.
Angela ascertained that “As a distinctive textile type, adire first appeared in the city of Abẹokuta, a centre for cotton production, weaving, and indigo-dyeing in the nineteenth century. The prototype was tie-dyed kijipa, a handwoven cloth dyed with indigo for use as wrappers and covering cloths. Female specialists dyed yarns and cloth and also recycled faded clothing by re-dyeing the cloth with tie-dyed patterns.”
Adirẹ is being made by tying and stitching with raffia, Aako or cotton thread, Owu or by using fowl feathers to dab painted cassava paste on the cloth.
The British manufacturing firms introduced cheap, durable and imported clothes, and stormed the market with colorful, flamboyant and inexpensive printed textiles, the adire producers emerged to meet the modern challenge.
The local women realised that the imported white cotton materials already manufactured with sophisticated technology was cheaper than handwoven cloth and could be decorated and dyed to meet local tastes, needs and demands. This virtually replaced the rough edged, woolen and old Kijipa cloth.
In 1920, Senegalese and Gambians merchants used to come to Abẹokuta to buy as many as 2,000 wrappers in one day from the female traders at Itoku Kemta (According to Byfield 2002, Page. 114).
A female expatriate, Betty Okuboyejo who once lived in Abẹokuta, is credited with introducing high-quality adire-inspired cloth using a full range of commercial color-fast dyes to expatriates and Nigerian elites (Eicher 1976, Page. 76).
Betty Okuboyejo devoted most of her life time on development of Tie-dyed clothes in Egbaland.
Infact, She sadly posted on facebook timelune Okuboyejo that most of the Old Adirẹ clothes were no more produced again in Abeokuta.
Picture of Old tie-dyed clothes from Betty Okuboyejo.
From old and local methods of using house painting dye, raffia, to maize or cassava powder, and fowl feathers to the replacement with special candles, multi-coloured dyes, starch and quality textile materials had made the production of Adire very easy. Yet, the production still not much large, but remained locally produced in Abeokuta. Some traders from towns like Ibadan, Oshogbo and others are also produced Adire.
Adirẹ is the main job of Kemta, Sodẹkẹ and Itoku people in Abeokuta. It could be Adire Eleko, Adire Oniko, Adire batik and others.
Adirẹ oniko is wrapped or tied with raffia, Ako to resist the dye from reaching some parts of the clothes used. Adirẹ ẹlẹkọ has starchy maize or cassava watery paste painted onto the surface of the cloth as the resisting agent. Adirẹ Alabẹrẹ is the method of stitching the cloth with thread before dying it. Adirẹ onibatani is made with the aid of zinc stencils to control the application of the resisting starch.
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