•As They Take On Each Other
No doubt aso-ebi has become one of the staple outfits in every lady’s wardrobe. In fact, it dominates 80% of some women’s wardrobe because week in, week out there is always one aso-ebi to buy. It has become a norm, sort of within the social milieu for women especially to pick aso-ebi for their owambe. Hardly will you attend any party in Lagos that there won’t be aso-ebi or at most for some set of special ladies. There is also another form of an outfit known as aso-ijo which is often picked for them.
In fact, picking aso-ebi for parties has become such a status thing that many guests always want to turn up in Aso-Ebi for their different occasions. Most ladies now compete with one another with this aso-ebi to show class to the extent that most celebrants have also introduced a special aso-ijo for some of their close friends which they will change into later at the party and dance with.
This trend has been ongoing for years but recently it has caused a major issue within the society women. The origin of this issue started when a man posted a video online that went viral. He was seen addressing the fact that most celebrity women now attend events and change up to 3 times at events that is not theirs. He got infuriated in the video and condemned the act by tagging women who do such as being irresponsible. Shortly after this video went viral, some society women came online to share their own opinion on the issue. The video was the aftermath of star actress, Fathia Balogun’s 51st birthday party in which she took 3 aso-ebi for her party, 2 general aso-ebi and 1 aso-ijo for her special friends. Some even changed up to 3 times in the 3 aso-ebi. The aso-ijo for the party was 160k and over 30 of her friends changed to this aso-ijo later in the evening at the party.
The first to air her opinion on the aso-ebi palaver was Lagos society woman who is a popular shoe merchant, Montai, she posted “if you must take aso-ebi kindly make it affordable. If I buy 4 aso-ebi in a month at 60k-170k each, do you want to kill us? And all these aso-ebi, we wear them just once, please small small!!. We know it is the love you have for us that is why you are inviting us but aso-ebi money wants to kill us, please help us, the only one acceptable to me now is wedding aso-ebi but not expensive and of good quality. Any other aso-ebi, please let’s be calling colours”.
This post generated a lot of comments and opinions. Another society woman, Ronke Ayuba popularly known as Tailormade fashion commented. “Funny but true, let’s be calling colours!”. Even an actress known as Adediwura Gold commented that she has resigned from buying aso-ebi, it is either she attends the party without aso-ebi and sprays the celebrant money or she stays at home. Another celebrity lady who also commented on the post was Bola Awosika, who said she can’t run bankrupt in Lagos, that she cuts her costs according to size.” Also popular event décor, Sutton Royal Events boss who affirmed the post by saying “So True”. One of them was Queen Esttyyeribo commented by saying, the poster should increase the volume. The CEO of Ipinlese talk show also supported by saying” louder please ma, you are the one that can say it, I am tired of talking about it, now aso-ebi starts from 100k, no 25k, no 40k anymore and if you do not buy, the fight has started”. Another society woman who commented on the post was top Ibadan hotelier, Ranti Koiki as by Velvetbackside on Instagram wrote “Do you know the worst thing? They will sell aso-ebi with greed and won’t make provisions for food. Instead, they will be changing clothe like an onion. After showing off jewellery and clothes, nothing for guests. Why can’t they deploy gains of their aso-ebi to cater for guests? My new policy is not to buy any aso-ebi except you are dear to me. Although I dash most of the outfits out but don’t let us lie, I am tired of buying cheap clothes at exorbitant prices, that I cannot wear confidently to other functions. If I get to a party and realize the noise is more than the care, I pocket my money and go home. How can I buy cloth, buy fuel, pay for makeup, dress up, change money and travel yet nothing nothing, please this is 2022″. All these comments have been causing a lot of uproar within many society women while some frown at it, the majority embraced the opinion.
Under the posts were over 100 comments who all frowned at this ongoing issue.
Earlier before this issue, a popular biz woman who was once an actress, Lolade Abuta posted something similar, she was the first to shake the table after she delivered her set of twins in the faraway UK. She posted and wrote how women who buy the trending lace HOH cope with its high price? She wrote “I have a question for the rich Aunty vibes, that HOH lace, why is it expensive like that? And you people that like to buy so many of it, how many times do you wear one? Because if I buy it, I will wear mine 5 times a year. I will lose it and redesign it into another style,I will wear it for Christmas, new year, eid el Fitri, Easter and Ileya festival, I will even engrave Dr Ova on it. I have checked well, it is like they use barb wire to make it, guess it is an expensive barb wire. In fact, I don’t know, if you know better, please enlighten me because that is why many of those aunties dance Kwam 1 song, Ade Ori Okin when they wear It”..
This single post got over 500 comments where some celebrity ladies did not buy her idea?.
Some said the fabric is overhyped, hence the cost, and there are a lot of HOH inspired copies that many sell at an expensive price. A celebrity lady named Rally closet said she is proudly team HOH lace fabric, that life is only for the living and tomorrow is not guaranteed”. The original HOH sells between 600k and 800k fabric and some women pick the lesser copies as aso-ebi which has been causing issues lately amongst them.
Popular beauty expert, House of Phareedah posted that “aso-ebi for 70k, tailor 50k, make up 35k, gele 10k, fuel to the venue, spray the celebrant, after the party no thanks for coming. At the party, no food or drinks!!! In fact, this was another bombshell as she revealed that many celebrity women invite guests without taking proper care of their guests. Lolade Abuta commented that she is mostly pained by what Phareedah analysed. Another actress who frowned at this is Bose Alao who commented that “The food is the heartbreak” for her, another actress, Temitayo Adeniyi also posted, the aftermath of Faithia Balogun’s party, “ you people now buy 2 different Aso Ebi for other people’s party? like you get dressed and do your make up with general aso-ebi and just a few hours into the party, you leave again and go and change to another aso-ebi and gele and come to the same party? Lagos people, this is how you people now do in this Lagos?!
It of course generated many comments as well and most comments opposed the picking of aso-ebi at events. In fact, many suggested that colours should be called that there is hardly any colour that any lady does not have now.
But why is the issue of Owambe aso-ebi worrisome? And why is it that any Owambe is surely not complete without it, picking aso-ebi primarily serves as a uniformity amongst guests for an event and in no doubt it makes party colourful but gone are those days where this are the only reasons aso-ebi is being picked for an Owambe? It has become a sort of competition amongst many of the ladies, they all want to show that they have money to buy aso-ebi. They want to slay the other with their different styles and in turn, makes some fashion statements thereafter. It has also gotten to a stage that most celebrity women now use aso-ebi as the invitation. In fact, some go to the extent of putting aso-ebi on the invite as their access card so if you did not buy aso-ebi, you are allowed into the event venue. Another issue this has raised is that it gives some people an avenue to make money, for instance, some buy aso-ebi for 20k from the dealer and will sell it for 50k for guests thereby making more money for their event. Some also buy inferior fabrics and sell to guests for the price of an original. Just because some women want to belong to a particular status, they go to the extent of buying aso-ebi in credit, borrow jewellery, and other accessories, pile up debt with the makeup artist and their designers just to make sure they belong hence the need to always show up at all Owambes.
Some women are tired of doing this routine week in week out, with the celebrants making money out from them and in turn not treating them well as their events.
The issue does not stop with the celebrity women, some fabric sellers also have their own opinion, while some frown at selling inferior fabrics for original, some dismissed the notion that all fabric sellers are not the same and they don’t get their fabrics from the same source hence the disparity in prices.
No doubt the asoebi palaver will be an eye opener for any celebrant now as many guests have opined to choose colours for their event instead of picking aso-ebi.
Originally, Aso-Ebi is not for guests at events, it is strictly chosen for the family of the celebrant only. The purpose of wearing the dress is to serve as self-identification but now it serves as identification with age mates, relatives or friends during social occasions. The affordability of fabrics such as Ankara has contributed to the popularity of uniform dressing for social occasions but the trend has gone beyond Ankara, now laces are also in vogue.
Sometimes the uniform dressing can also be a measure of personal affluence because Aso-Ebi involves rivalry between various egbe or groups with each group competing to outshine each other in terms of quality, originality and richness of the uniform as the case is during any Ojude Oba Festival.
The rise of Aso-Ebi has given many designers jobs because it is a stable outfit for most parties. It has also coincided with an intense market of fashion and lifestyles magazines in Lagos whereby tailors look at designs for inspiration and their patrons buy the magazines to see whether they or their friends are pictured in it.
Aso-Ebi in recent times has become a city phenomenon that has diffused to other West African cultures. Dealers of imported and local textile materials have also benefited from the boom in demand for uniform dressing. Some textile dealers offer consultation services and bulk rates for the choice and cost of the dress and fabrics. While the price of fabrics in sewing the traditional attire is affordable, the Aso-Ebi practice is still sometimes used as an identification with affluence. Additionally, Aso Ebi has become an attire of class worn by celebrities and elites. With fashion designers creatively making outfits for special occasions to meet the taste of their rich and wealthy customers, Aso-Ebi outfits have become a regular today.
– TAYO OYEDIJI
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