Ize first caught the gaze of the fashion world just last year at Lagos Fashion Week, where he summoned the supermodel powers of Naomi Campbell and Imaan Hammam, who walked in his show wearing designs using the traditional Nigerian fabric, asoke<\/em>. It is this, the artisanal craftsmanship and traditional textiles of his native Nigeria, that are at the center of his eponymous label, his design journey both an exploration of \u2013 and homage to \u2013 African craft and heritage.<\/p>\n Dedicated to its preservation, Ize works with a small community of asoke<\/em> weavers in Nigeria, reinterpreting examples of Nigerian craft to form an original perspective on luxury fashion while nurturing existing cultural practice. Through his lens, and the lens of his creative peers, the work of local Nigerian artisans comes to life.<\/p>\n Here, we journey to the artistic hotbed of Lagos without a passport or seemingly neverending plane ride to transform your decor, kitchen, wardrobe and belly with Nigerian culture – and let it come to life at home, too.<\/p>\n THE BOOK TO READ<\/strong><\/p>\n Chibundu Onuzo’s ‘Welcome To Lagos’ is the perfect entry point for a cultural immersion into Lagos. Full of shimmering detail, the novel is a stunning portrayal of both an extraordinary city and of seven lives that intersect in a breathless story of courage and survival, freedom and new life.<\/p>\n WHAT TO EAT<\/strong><\/p>\n Be it grilled, fried or boiled, plantains are a staple of Nigerian cuisine. Dodo<\/em>, or fried plantains, are perhaps the plantain star however (because isn’t all fried food?), beautifully caramelized and a little crunchy, they are the perfect accompaniment to any rice dish (Jollof Rice, Fried Rice, Coconut Rice), or just as good on their own. Fry them up at home with this recipe from The New York Times<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n THE DRINK TO DRINK\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The only way to cool down that Nigerian heat is with a zesty Zobo Chapman<\/a>. A Chapman is one of the most popular drinks in Nigeria, a kind of spirited non-alcoholic punch (but without the spirits). This particular Chapman is a little more floral in flavor using another Nigerian ingredient, “zobo,” aka hibiscus.<\/p>\n Made in Nigeria<\/em>. Should you wish to channel the cultural exuberance and beautiful artisanship of Nigerian fashion, those three words should be blasted across the clothing you choose. Glorious print, punchy color and deft handiwork is the blueprint of Nigerian style, where centuries-old tradition meets modernity most beautifully. Look to traditional Asoke <\/em>weave and hand-loomed fabrics, which even manifest on polychrome mules and boxy top-handle totes. Statement jewelry is also a must, with MitiMeth, an award-winning Art Crafts and Design Social Enterprise based in Nigeria, leading the charge with upcycled jewels with a sustainable spin. The creative collective transforms natural fibers like water hyacinth, typha grass, and agro waste forms like banana bark, coconut shells and bamboo culms into sustainable fashion and statement accessories to show off. These include loom-woven textile panels, buttons, jewelry, hair accessories and home d\u00e9cor products that combine the history of African textiles with a contemporary aesthetic.<\/p>\n BAYO dress, BUSAYO.<\/span> shop now<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Leather top toe mule, SHEKUDO<\/span>. shop now<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n The Lara Box, femi handbags<\/span>. shop now<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Woven Water Hyacinth and Coconut Earrings, MITIMETH.<\/span> shop now<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n TO ENJOY AT HOME<\/strong><\/p>\n Enliven your abode with the uplifting cheer of African housewares. Usher in afro-pop art and the vibrant West-African aesthetic via Nigerian \/ German interior designer Eva Sonai’s Ijoba lamp shape, designer Kunmi Otitoju ancient-inspired Alagbede Notebook and Il\u00e0’s Line Chair, which features an ebullient Adir\u00e9 textile. And don’t forget to scent your home with Lohn Lagos’s basil flower candle, a herbaceous nod to Nigeria.<\/p>\n IJOBA LAMPSHADE, EVA SONAIKE.<\/span> shop now<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n IHAYA LIGHT PENDANT, AAKS, ATELIER 55.<\/span> shop now<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n WEWE CUSHION, EVA SONAIKE.<\/span> shop now<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n LINE CHAIR OLOGOOSE, 54 KIBO.<\/span> shop now<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n BASIL FLOWEr SOY CANDLE, LOHN LAGOS.<\/span> shop now<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n BEAUTY<\/strong><\/p>\n The natural spoils of Africa are incredibly rich and diverse, so much so, much of Western beauty relies on native African ingredients. These soaps, oils and butters use African ingredients and recall ancient recipes and remedies to deliver modern results. Plus, they’re all made in Nigeria, an added bonus when you bathe.<\/p>\n ASAKWA African Black Soap with TuRmeric and dara body butter, Modara Naturals.<\/span> shop now<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n BAOBAB OIL, organic life plus.<\/span> shop now<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/LAGOS_AHCG_.jpg\")
\nWelcome to Lagos, Chibundu Onuzoaa.<\/span> Shop now<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/LAGOS_AHCG_2.jpg\")
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\nTHE ATTIRE\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/06\/d2ress-nigeria-gigapixel-scale-4_00x.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
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