Our Personal Relationships with Aṣọ Òkè​

More than just fabric, aṣọ òkè is a piece of family history tied to celebrations and important events. aṣọ òkè often symbolizes the connections, legacies and pride handed down from one generation to the next. 

Editor’s note: This essay is available in our print issue, Reimagining Nigerian Heritage. Buy the issue here.

Alhaji Saheed Belerebe’s deep, proud voice fills the air in the corner of his aṣọ òkè store at the Ọjè market in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital city. It is October 2024. ‘If you want to praise Ìṣẹ̀yìn,’ Belerebe sings, ‘aṣọ òkè is never dishonoured at weddings in our Yoruba land. It is never dishonoured in [Ì]ṣẹ̀yìn, for it is gold.’

His voice carries the weight of centuries of a culture that has embedded itself into the heart of Yoruba identity. Aṣọ òkè (Yoruba for ‘top cloth’), woven on a device called òfí, is more than an outfit. It is a living archive of Yoruba history, a heritage that connects many to their ancestors.

For photographer Oyewole Lawal, aṣọ òkè has always been an important part of his family’s story—the significance of which he did not fully understand growing up. Lawal often flipped through family photo albums as a child, noticing the elaborate aṣọ òkè outfits but not fully appreciating their importance. In 2007, Lawal inherited an outfit his great-grandfather, Chief Julius Ogundipe, wore during his chieftaincy title ceremony in the 1970s in Bajulaiye, Shomolu, Lagos.

Remembering the outfit, ‘I didn’t understand what it meant back then,’ Lawal said. ‘I used it as sleepwear until it wore out. It was only when I spoke to my family that I began to see how much I had let slip away.’ This ultimately led Lawal on a journey of rediscovery, one that would reconnect him with his family’s deep-rooted tradition...

This essay features in our print issue, ‘Reimagining Nigerian Heritage’, and is available to read for free. Simply register for a Free Pass to continue reading.

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