Wekafore Maniu Jibril is a Nigerian-born designer who launched his namesake label in 2013. Jibril talks Vogue.me through the brand’s Fall 2017 collection; a love letter to the golden age of the French colonized country of West Africa. “We were cool before hip hop,” he boldly proclaims to Vogue Arabia.
The offering was born out of the Dubai-based designer’s frustration about the misrepresentation of Africans in the mainstream media, mixed with a new-found obsession with the Afro-rock, disco, funk culture that swept over post-colonial Nigeria during the 1970’s.
“It was a time where the youth of the newly-independent country started finding their voice and creating the blueprint for the new free nation,” he reflects. “Somewhere along the line, in part due to hip hop and globalization, a lot of Nigerians lost that touch with the raw passion of that Afro-rock, disco subculture.” The designer describes his determination to draw from this rich history, and resurrect that era through his designs.
Titled Thank You Florence, the collection is a touching tribute to his late grandmother— a thoughtful contrast to his debut capsule collection inspired by his tailor grandfather who introduced him to fashion at 10-years-old. “I wanted to write a poem of celebration and gratitude about her, I tried to fictionally look into her adolescence through a filter of the memories I have of her,” he muses, revealing that the offering is what he pictures her and her friends would have worn for her 21st birthday. Before he began sketching, the designer pored over iconic photographs from the bygone era by legendary photographers like Malick Sidibe, Seydou Keita, and James Barnor to bring the offering to life.
Unlike most collections, Jibril did not have a specific color palette in mind. “I like to stick to the denim, aso oke, and the jacquard fabrics. The fringes were big for me, they are my go to.” This is apparent throughout the lineup of mens and women’s clothing, which includes frayed jeans, wide-leg trousers, fringed hem tops, and metallic, silk skirts. The collection also features so-wearable tailored separates and an oversized jungle-printed T-shirt. Those who are keen to get their hands on expertly-cut blazers and high-shine dresses can find the entire collection online or at Isakin in Paris.
