Music and fashion, both vital prongs of pop culture, are inextricably linked. Tides within the music scene often spill over into fashion, spawning new sartorial movements. And fashion, the facade of the zeitgeist, similarly influences music, to no small extent. The Beatles, one of the world’s most seminal bands, embody this motif in earnest. When the band rose to prominence in the 1960s, they popularized the “mod” look, characterized by slim-fitting suits with narrow lapels, svelte ties, and Chelsea boots. This style rebelled against the more conservative menswear of the 1950s and engendered philosophical culture wars. In contrast, after their pilgrimage to India in the late 1960s, they embraced the loose-fitting articles emblematic of the country. This free-spirited ethos, manifested through their sartorial leanings, also translated into their feted White Album, which was created during their time in India.
This motif rings as pertinently in Nigeria, as it does in the rest of the world. Last year, Odumodu Blvck’s signature Okpu Agu hat, a red hat with alternating red and black stripes, native to the Igbo tribe, spread like wildfire, among fans in awe of his smoldering hypermasculine pomp. Burna Boy reinvigorated the cultural cachet of the classic Timberlands, a totem of his hip-hop-inspired I Told Them Album. Other examples abound; Wizkid with his signature flannel shirt, snapback hat & chinos pants combo in 2012, P Square with rhinestone belts in 2009, Mr. Eazi with straw hats in 2015, and Burna Boy’s bucket hat era in 2019.
This year in Nigerian music has been defined by momentous shifts and abrupt adjustments to the vagaries of global and local headwinds, such as the jousting between labels and social media leviathan TikTok, and the apparent expiration of Amapiano. The scene is changing. Music’s influence on the fashion of 2024, in Nigeria, has however been harder to pin down. In 2023, music’s bearing on fashion was made evident by OdumoduBlvck’s signature Okpu Agu, and Burna Boy’s Timberlands; its influence on the fashion of today, however, is harder to place. To identify, and make sense of the music scene’s influence on fashion in 2024, Culture Custodian spoke to Similoluwa Ogungbe, a stylist with a passion for defining the ethos of artistes by harnessing the power of fashion. Our conversation has been adapted into a list of the macro and micro fashion trends the 2024 music scene has spawned.
Jerseys Are Now in Style
Jerseys are arguably the biggest fashion trend of the year, and in Nigeria, no one has championed their cause more fervently than Zlatan, largely through his ZTTW brand. The trend is not unique to Nigeria; jerseys have seen a resurgence across major cities in the world this year. Nigerian artistes have embraced this trend, with everyone from Victony to Ayra Starr donning jerseys and sports gear in general. The rise of jerseys is especially significant as it represents the collision of two culturally significant worlds: sports and fashion. In an interview with Dazed Magazine, Kenny Anaan-Jonathan, the Premier League’s first creative director, has ascribed this marriage, of sports and fashion, to the erasure of the lines hitherto keeping these worlds separate.
Tracing the origin of any fashion trend can be difficult, a bit like the chicken-and-egg conundrum. Is said fashion trend of organic provenance, and merely amplified by corporations with a stake in it; or is the reverse the case? Jerseys, sport wear in general, have always simmered in the background of the fashion scene; veritable fashion articles, but rarely ever stepping into the foreground. On rare occasions however, they have seized the spotlight, such as in the late 90s and 2000s when basketball jerseys, fueled by a dalliance between basketball and Hip-Hop culture, rose to prominence. Celebrities like Michael Jordan and Jay-Z, through music videos and TV commercials, popularized the look. Back home in Nigeria, jerseys had a curt moment of pointed celebrity in 2018. Wizkid was enlisted by Nike, alongside players of the Super Eagles, for the unveiling of the official World Cup jersey collection for the national team. The campaign proved to be immensely successful, catapulting jerseys into style. Today, whatever may be the exact impetus, jerseys are back in style.
Cowboy Fever is Upon Us
Starting last year, the motif of the American Wild West, and its analog, the infamous American cowboy iconography, returned into style. Country music surged to record levels in America, with artists like Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, and Morgan Wallen, leading the charge. This year, the American cowboy motif is still ascendant but the focus has shifted to fashion. Beyoncé’s country album Cowboy Carter artfully deploys imagery of the American Wild West. Pharrell Williams has also drawn from the American West and cowboy imagery for the Louis Vuitton 2024 Fall-Winter Collection. Nigerian artists have not been spared from cowboy fever and artists like BurnaBoy and Asake have leaned into the motif. In Asake’s Active video, he can be spotted wearing a Cowboy-inspired ensemble. Similarly, Burna Boy, in Tshwala Bam’s Video, dons a Cowboy fit. Nigerian-American singer-rapper Shaboozey—he’s featured on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter—has been one of country culture’s biggest advocates. His music merges Alt-Country with Hip Hop, and his song Tipsy, a country record, is one of the biggest songs of the year. As of the time of writing, it has sat atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 8 weeks. In the song’s video, he ropes in a passel of cowboy sartorial items: big buckled belts, cowboy boots, denim jackets, jeans, cowboy boots, and not least, cowboy hats.
Jorts Are Back in Style
Since time immemorial, Jorts, even more than skinny jeans, have had a rapidly changing reputation. One minute, they’re considered chic, the next, they’ve fallen out of fashion. But with a seemingly endless slew of popstars giving them the stamp of approval—Omah Lay, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Taves, Asake, to name a few—they’re back in style!
Bandanas are Back
Headwear has been a fixture within the fashion scene this year. Victony, has adopted the medieval Viking chainmail coif, as the central symbol of his Stubborn album. While this has generally caught the attention of fashion enthusiasts, it hasn’t translated into mass adoption. Bandanas on the other hand, heralded by artists like Ayo Maff and Rema, are making a comeback.
Panama Hats are Rising in Popularity
Panama caps, or ‘papa’s cap’ in pedestrian parlance, are making a comeback. Once a signature look of Victony’s, since his rise to fame in 2021, these caps have now been embraced by others. This year, even icons like Wizkid and Burna have added the nostalgic hat to their wardrobes. With these titans adopting the hats, they’ve returned with unshakable vigor.
Opium Style is Taking Root in Nigeria
Opium style—popularized by artists such as Playboi Carti and Destroy Lonely, and characterized by black clothing articles and punk-inspired jewelry—is taking root in Nigeria, thanks to Rema. With his obsidian sophomore album Heis, he has leaned into the sable-colored opium realm for sonic inspiration, but also his new aesthetic. Given his hectoring star power, the opium style is taking root in Nigeria.
Bubble Skirts Are Making a Comeback
Originally conceptualized in the 1950s, popular in the 80s, and again in the 2000s, spearheaded by celebrities like Amy Winehouse and Princess Diana, bubble skirts are back. Their resurgence is not just a local phenomenon, celebrities like Sabrina Carpenter and Charlie XCX have incorporated them into their wardrobes. Back at home, a host of female celebrities, everyone from Ayra Starr, to rising star Deela, has catalyzed their resurgence.
