Art enthusiast reaffirms uniqueness of Tie-Dye in showcasing Nigeria’s culture

Teniola Bakare

An Art enthusiast, Teniola Bakare, has emphasised the uniqueness of the tie-dye fabric popularly known as Adire in showcasing Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage.

She said the fabric has huge potential for boosting export earnings as it is increasingly being in demand in Asia, Europe and the Americas, especially now that the Federal Government is exploring other sources of revenue.

Tie-dyeing is a method of dyeing by hand in which coloured patterns are produced in the fabric by gathering together many small portions of material and tying them tightly with a string before immersing the cloth in the dyebath

Bakare, a Nigerian student, studying Law at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge in England, had been in love with the art of preparing the tie-dye fabrics and its general outlook since her secondary school days at Chrisland high school, Ikeja in Lagos.

According to her” tie-dye is part and parcel of our culture, an age-long tradition that our great grandparents passed on to us. It represents the best of our fashion culture, very easy to produce and befitting when sewn into different designs”.

Bakare said the tie-dye technique is suitable for everyday use and also improves the visual quality of textiles, while the durability remained uncompromised.

She said she was excited about her planned visit itoku area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, when she is in Nigeria in the coming months to experience the production process, once again and also to share her thoughts with the production team on how to improve the designs and general outlook of the materials.

On the general use of tie-dye, Teniola explained that” it can be used for different purposes, including tie-dye shirts, dresses, skirts, traditional attires and other clothing items due to their vibrant-colours and unique patterns.