By David-Chyddy Eleke
You have heard of media convergence right? But you have not heard of fashion convergence, I guess.
The media has converged, with the coming of the internet and the social media. Media organisations which were strictly print or broadcast have delved into so many modes. Just one newspaper outfit, which used to have an all print version only, has now opened a website to sell its content on ‘by minutes basis’, while also opening broadcast arm on the internet, and also sharing content on WhatsApp, text messages and emails.
It’s same news content, but can be received in diverse forms; text, voice, visual. But the most amazing thing is that just using your phone, you can access all of these, without going to the news stand to buy a copy of newspaper, turning to your radio, or even getting home to watch a TV show. The media has converged effectively.
And now, fashion convergence. It’s my children’s cultural day today. They were expected to come to school in traditional African attires, the attires can also depict their origin.
In previous years, we have had to assemble all the needed regalia before hand. Caps, beads, shoes, clothings, hoping that all will go together. But this year, I told my wife that with fashion convergence, we may do less, and of course, we did less.
In 2013, then governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Willie Obiano was made the butt of jokes by social media buff, for the single reason that the then American returnee wore a pair of APGA uniform, sewn into the usual traditional outfit, with a pair of sneakers.
He was made fun of, and described as one that is not in tune with fashion. Fast forward to 2022, just nine years after, the trend has changed. People now safely wear senator dresses, babanriga, agbada and even Ishiagu, with a pair of canvases or sneakers.
I ran into Yul Edochie, popular Nollywood actor at Stanel petrol station weeks back, and the now controversial actor doned a pair of jeans trousers, white long sleeves shirts, whose sleeves were folded to ankle level. You know what, he wore a pair of sneakers, and still had the temerity to place a red cap on his head as a titled chief in Igboland. Before now, no one would consider that.
Prominent Igbo personalities including foremost Igbo philanthropist, Prince Engr Arthur Eze have been severally seen wearing their senator dresses with pure white sneakers. Other well known politicians from other parts of Nigeria have also been captured in same dress style – their native attires with sneakers, and not necessarily the conventional gentlemen shoes that was the norm previously.
Today, it is not even considered anything untoward to wear a pair of English suits and wear a pair of canvass. Lots of celebrities have been seen donning them, but the most audacious of them all, still wear red caps to depict the fact that they are title men, even in English suits, and nothing is seen to be wrong with it.
If there is media convergence, this can be seen to be fashion convergence.
The above picture is of two of my sons – Ugonna and Ifenna whose cultural day in school was today.
After we found out they had outgrown the trousers accompanying these dresses, I told my wife to let them wear jeans trousers. She had protested that the dresses can be accompanied with Jean trousers, but when I insisted, she let them wear it. On the long run, we found out that they looked good on them. Not even the addition of traditional Igbo hats could diminish the panache that accompanied their looks. The boys were not also less happy with their own looks.
Fashion convergence, like media convergence is here with us. It is easing a lot of things, and bringing a lot of convenience. Men who detest the pain gentlemen shoes came with, and liked the comfort and caresses that sneakers and canvasses gave their feet can still wear them and feel feel to don their babanriga, suits, Ishiagu or even agbada. This can be another disruptive change, and as the world evolves, who knows what part of human existence will converge again, after now.
