Student Dede Arisekola wins British Library competition with designs inspired by tireless campaigner for women’s rights, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti
By Mark Cantrell
THE incredible life of a woman regarded as Nigeria’s first feminist has provided the inspiration behind a UK student’s award-winning fashion project.
Dede Arisekola, a final year fashion design and marketing student at Northumbria University, was tasked with creating a portfolio of designs based on a ‘hidden’ figure; someone whose impact has previously been overlooked.
The student research competition was organised by the British Fashion Council, and the British Library. The brief this year was set by Priya Ahluwalia, creative director of fashion label, Ahluwalia, which collaborated with the two organisations.
For Arisekola, the challenge gave her the opportunity to explore the life of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. The Nigerian educator and political campaigner fought tirelessly for women’s rights, and played a significant role in the African country’s independence movement.
In a very real sense, then, Arisekola’s project not only drew on Ransome-Kuti as source of inspiration, it also became very much a tribute to the woman, who was tragically murdered by Nigeria’s military regime in the 1970s.
Vocal advocate
Ransome-Kuti was born in 1900, and she was passionate about education. Having been among the first cohort of girls in Nigeria to receive a formal education, she went on to set up the first pre-school classes in the country, as well as supporting women from poorer backgrounds to access literacy classes.
She was a vocal advocate for women’s rights, campaigning for women in Nigeria to be given the right to vote and be represented in governing bodies, and she led 10,000 women in protest marches against unfair taxes imposed under British colonial rule.
Ransome-Kuti died in 1978 after being thrown from a second-floor window following a raid on the home of her son, the well-known musician Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti, who was a vocal critic of Nigeria’s military government.
Despite all she did in her lifetime, her son’s fame often overshadowed her own achievements; so Arisekola decided to help bring her out of that shadow.
“Funmilayo spent her entire life advocating for women, and although she was a notable figure in Nigerian history, the fame of her son Fela Kuti and other male relatives has unfortunately overshadowed her amazing and truly inspirational legacy. Funmilayo mothered a nation and that is why I chose her as my hidden figure,” Arisekola said.
Family connection
Arisekola’s family are originally from Nigeria, which provided her with the opportunity to gain a little more personal insight for her research, courtesy of her 93-year-old grandmother.
During a visit over Christmas, Arisekola was able to draw on her grandmother’s memories through an interview, adding extra flavour to her research.
All told, exploring Ransome-Kuti’s life gave Arisekola the chance to discover more about the country’s history, particularly the lives and experiences of women over the last century. On a more personal level, it allowed to come closer to her own heritage.
“When I was talking to my Granny, I found out that she was a student at a missionary-owned girls’ school very close to the school Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti taught at,” Arisekola said. “She told me stories about the girls and women in the area praising Funmilayo for the work she was doing in promoting women’s rights and education for women.”
Winning combination
During her time at Northumbria, Arisekola has developed an interest in textile printing, and she decided to tell Ransome-Kuti’s story through print.
She took her inspiration for this from Àdìrẹ indigo-dyed cotton cloth – traditionally made and worn by women throughout the Yoruba region of south-western Nigeria. She was further inspired by Priya Ahluwalia’s work.
The designer launched her multi-award winning label in 2018. It combines elements from her dual Indian-Nigerian heritage and London roots. The label also explores the potential of vintage and surplus clothing by giving existing material a new life through various textile and patchwork techniques.
By combining both influences, Arisekola created a fabric design based on the story of two Nigerian women from different economic backgrounds whose lives nevertheless mirror each other’s in many ways.
The pattern she created aims to highlight the many roles Nigerian women play, and pays tribute to the strength of Ransome-Kuti and women like her.
From there, Arisekola designed a collection of garments to be created from the fabric, drawing on the Nigerian tradition of women carrying their babies in a ‘wrapper’ – a long piece of cloth that can be tied in many ways to create different shapes and styles.
Her collection is described as a modern take on the drape and wrapper style of Nigerian fashion, using colourful handmade prints and strong shapes.
Heritage
Arisekola wore one of her own designs to the award event at the British Library, where she discovered she had been selected as the winner of this year’s British Fashion Council and British Library student research competition.
“This annual competition, held in collaboration with the British Fashion Council, highlights the incredible diversity of the British Library’s collections, and the importance of research as an integral part of the fashion design process,” said Maja Maricevic, the British Library’s director of science and innovation.
“We were so impressed with the work of all our finalists, and it was a really hard call nominating a winner. Even within such tough competition, Dede’s work stood out both through her outstanding design, but also the powerful connections that her research made between the inspirational work of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and the experiences of women in Dede’s own family.”
Arisekola added: “I hope that this collection highlights the connection between first generation immigrants and their older relatives. Through the culture, memories and wisdom shared between two generations, stories, traditions, and authenticity are kept alive.
“I interviewed my grandmother and found out so much I didn’t know about my own heritage. I hope the concept of my collection might inspire other young people to find out more and celebrate their heritage.”
MC
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