Nigerians are not only making it big abroad, their works and skills speak for them in places that matter. Duro Oluwu is a designer with great influences as he decorated the Vermeil Room in the White House.
In speaking with Vogue magazine, the Nigerian said that his aim is to create good pieces that people would always engage and never be tired of. “My idea is to create a beautiful feast for the eyes, reminiscent of a warm and joyful season, filled with international treasures and signature fabrics,” he spoke of his work in the White House room.
It should be noted that he decorated the room during Barack Obama’s presidency in the US. He said that he is sure Michelle’s visitors will be as delighted as she is when they visit the room during the holiday season.
The composition of the room was comprised of 8-foot-tall Christmas trees wrapped with vintage African fabrics encrusted with shiny balls. There were also patchworks at strategic places in the room.
His latest project which got him featured on CNN was inspired by his old family photo album as he was hooked by the clothes of iro and buba his parents wore in the 60’s and 80’s.
Now resident in New York, the Nigerian said that he was attracted by the richness and elegance of the old outfits, saying they reminded him of how well dressed his parents were when he was young.
“The relevance of iro and buba doesn’t dissipate over time, so I came up with this story to shed light on the beauty of my heritage to the world,” Diran said of the fashion. After much research into the fashion history of his parents’ time, he decided to recreate the moments as he featured women models for the clothes.
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