Paper short abstract:

The paper examines Nigerian dress culture’s reconfiguration, focusing on gender, identity, and artistic representation. This study highlights how Nigerian dress culture represents diverse identities, its influences, and implications for gender dynamics and future trends.

Paper long abstract:

Nigerian dress culture is deeply rooted on gender and that which represents the identity formation of the people. It reflects the artistic, socio-cultural heritage, and the complex but coexistent independent identities of the diverse groups. Traditional attire, such as Yoruba’s ‘aso-oke’, Igbo’s ‘isi-agu’, and Hausa’s ‘babanriga’, has their social significations, cultural ethos, and gendered expressions. However, global influences and evolving social landscapes have taken a toll on the people’s dress culture, prompting Nigerians to reinterpret these traditional attires in contemporary contexts while challenging conventional gender boundaries and identity constructs. The Nigerian fashion industry, characterized by designers and artists, play pivotal role in reconfiguring narratives around gender lines, incorporating elements of tradition and contemporary styles that allows these pieces to embody a narrative that goes beyond visuals, turning them into socio-cultural statements. This study examines how contemporary societal values, globalization, and evolving identity constructs are influencing the way Nigerians express themselves through clothing vis-à-vis fashion. The study reveals how the younger generation is reshaping traditional gendered dress codes to create new expressions of identity. The research uses qualitative method to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. Ultimately, this research contributes to the global dialogue on the transformative power of fashion in challenging redefinition of gender norms and identities, in societies with rich cultural traditions undergoing rapid social change through fashion.