A DASH TO THE PAST: MIGRANTS OR EXPATRIATES?

A common African saying states: Always remember the child of whom you are.

This quote serves as a reminder to Africans who travel or relocate to foreign countries. Parents often use it to instruct their children on maintaining good character when they migrate to another country.

Bloke slowly moves away from both this quote and the essence of African cultural dressing. The fabrics and sculptural cuts tilt towards Western dressing, particularly in the early 1900s. This fashion series seeks to directly address the socio-political dynamics and double standards often associated with human migration. It challenges the differing connotations of ‘migrant’, which is linked to economic hardship or forced displacement, versus ‘expatriate’, which often implies a professional, skilled worker from an affluent country.

Bloke uses fashion to question these stereotypical labels and highlight shared human experiences of mobility and identity. Despite the bold Western contemporary designs, Bloke also implements traditional African craftsmanship in its production process to align with the brand’s signature fashion style. Each piece has unique features in texture and form, utilising a key textile for the brand: the signature marl knit.

Similar to Bubu Ogisi’s restraint, but with a bolder exploration of narrative artefacts, Faith Oluwajimi, the creative director of this collection and Samuel Ame-Yaw-Opoku, the Co-creative director, have created designs that are well-defined and more expressive, daring to challenge old trends and setting new ones for fashion enthusiasts. Each piece goes beyond aesthetics, making a statement that expresses the designers’ and wearers’ beliefs.

The first clothing item in this series is a coordinated look that stands out from the rest. Its unique fabric is simply phenomenal, reflecting the African culture in a subtle yet memorable way. The material is light on the skin and suitable for all weather conditions. The male attire reflects designs that were in vogue about a century ago, giving onlookers a nostalgic feel as if one glance takes them on a dash to the past.

The deep V-cut of the jacket reveals the wearer’s skin type without being flirty. A double-tail collar is used to define the cut, and it also expresses the designers’ expertise. On the lower left side of the collar is the brand’s signature logo. The gold icon serves as a luxurious statement piece and, at the same time, it promotes the brand. The fabric flows in straight lines to highlight the shoulders.

An engaging feature of the jacket is the sleeves. At the elbow, a bronze buckle highlights a strand of the fabric. And following that design is a slit that reveals the wearer’s skin. Although this is a creative design, the ‘split sleeve’ transforms the overall look. The jacket, which at first glance gives a professional outlook, now appears casual because of the opening. The inspiration is clearly from the recent ripped and ragged styles trending among youth. However, hanging the slit at the wrist region would have been a much preferable and concealed design.

At the wrist of the sleeves are three brown buttons that add extra details to the fit. The jacket wraps around the wearer’s torso firmly with moderate space for easy movement. Two large brown buttons add life to the colour palette of this piece and bring the jacket together. Slit openings were also made at the sides of the jacket and highlighted with a black lining material.

One problem I have with this design, however, is the asymmetrical structure. At the anterior view, the left side of the jacket appears shorter than the right side. This style concept gives the piece a crooked look and would be a definite turn-off for the older generation. An even cut would have been more ideal for a jacket.

The shorts of this piece are unique and authentic because of the cut pattern at the hem. This spiral cut remains consistent with the fabric’s pattern. ‘Flawless, ’ I would say, if you ask for my comment on the shorts. It is a simple yet striking piece.

The female fit made from this same fabric has an entirely different outlook. The shirt is a round-neck, long-sleeve top that highlights the wearer’s silhouette. This piece stops at the hips and covers the upper part of the trousers. A shorter shirt’s length would have been a better style option. The trousers’ design concept reveals the designer’s creativity and expertise. A long pant cut is used for the inner side of the trousers, and is paired with a knicker as the outer side. At the zip region, three brown buttons connect the shorts and add details to the trousers.

The next outfit is a three-piece male attire. It is uncommon to see men wear three pieces of clothing, so I must say this is not your regular design. The colour theme is quite interesting, bold yet earthy. The blend of green, white, brown and black is near perfect, reminding onlookers of the designer’s nationality. The model holds a Nigerian passport that proclaims the theme of this 2024 collection once again, but this time louder.

The outer piece is a plain round-neck polo that ends at the upper hip. On the left chest, a black box is imprinted on the shirt and inside it is a green aeroplane and a small white box with tiny inscriptions. The inner shirt is also a round-neck top, but it has a smaller neck hole. This design makes the wearer look unkempt. A hidden neckline for the inner top would have been more structured for this piece.

Nonetheless, the white and green hue for the inner top blends perfectly with the overall colour theme for the piece. The unique logo design imprinted in green on the white fabric is the engaging feature of this piece. It attracts the attention of onlookers and also passes a coded message from the designer to the world. Thus, leading people to guess what the symbol could represent.

The wide leg of the trousers is another unique feature of this piece, which provides free movement and all-day comfort. It is an old-school design commonly styled by African male youth in the 1900s. The dark hue used gives the piece an earthy feel. However, there is a huge gap between the colour shades of the shirt and trousers.

The third outfit is a Duo styling piece. The female fit features a round neck top and a pair of free jeans trousers. Strokes of white were used creatively to design the shirt’s light blue fabric. Helicopters were drawn with the white paint to emphasise the ‘migration’ distinction from Expatriates.

Following the blue hue, a darker shade of blue is used to sew the pair of trousers for this piece. The loose shape of the pants makes the waist look slimmer and balances the simple structure of the top. The fabric is premium-quality denim, giving this fit a casual look. A slant zip is constructed at the front with two buttons. And while that is a creative and daring concept, it may not appeal to minimalistic dressers. A straight or side zip would have been more ideal for this piece.

The male outfit consists of three pieces, a waistcoat, a collared shirt and a pair of shorts. The shirt’s collar gives this fit a corporate look, but it feels restrictive. Two buttons hold the top and add visual interest to the neck region. The sleeves of the shirt are loose and short, stopping midway between the shoulders and the elbow. The sleeve length is a definite ‘no’ for this piece, and an elbow-length shirt would have complemented the knee-length shorts better.

A dark blue waistcoat was made from the same denim material as the female fit’s trousers. The signature aeroplane icon in the left corner of the vest reflects the message that Faith and Samuel hoped to pass through this collection. Brown buttons are also used to design this piece at the front and the sides. Buckles are also used on both sides of the vest to add detail and secure some aesthetic strands of the vest.

The final piece in this collection is an orange two-piece. The stretchy fabric and bright colour tone are the highlights of this outfit. This piece, however, comes with a bonus package, a green bikini. Many customers would be attracted to this piece because of the bikini. The shirt is loose and comfortable. It can also be styled with another pair of trousers. The trousers, on the other hand, have a slimmer look. The brown buttons at the zip region are overwhelming for this simple piece. A rope or an elastic band should have been used instead to secure the trousers at the waist. And the trousers’ legs could be made bigger in the structure of a palazzo.

Bloke’s latest collection confirms the brand as one of the leading innovative fashion labels in Africa. The drive of Faith and Samuel to create pieces that don’t just beautify but also pass a message is commendable. The ‘migration’ theme is incredible, correcting the many misconceptions the world has about migrants. In a time like this, when the migration rate from Africa is high, Faith and Samuel’s designs help to renew the world’s mind to accepting foreigners in their new location instead of stigmatising them. Kudos to the team for this collection. It is phenomenal.

Abisola Omolade