STYLISTIC FEATURES OF CONTEMPORARY ADIRE IN NIGERIAN TEXTILE PRACTICE

Abstract

With the whole lot of  innovation the adire textile is going through, the indigenous craft still maintained and retained its cultural values among its various users most especially the Yoruba people. The paper therefore examines the styles and forms of contemporary adire in Nigeria, its distribution and entrepreneurship. Of further interest is the wide gamut of other product which Kampala technique images have been adapted. From clothing to postcard and house hold decoration items. Examination of contemporary adire and its mellowed design, ease of production and recent acceptance as wearable fashion material and other uses, indicate the diverse direction that traditional art forms may take as it enters the international market, The paper deduced that the different innovations that have taken place in the traditional textile craft is as a result of the formal education been acquired by the very few 7.4% of new generation producers of adire and this innovations has in one way or the other improve the patronage of adire and the calibre of its users. It has also transformed adire into ceremonial attire, other than the usual knockabout. It highlights the differences in the patterning methods of the cloth and also the preference choice of users. The study discovered that adire can play a dual role of a commodity and a gift because of its new variety of uses among the customers, from dress to house hold materials and souvenir.