On October 1, 2022, at the Carlton Palace Hotel in Deira, Dubai, Nigerian fashion designer Olanrewaju Aroworayi presented BEAUTY IN BLACK, a unisex collection showcased as part of Nigeria’s 62nd Independence anniversary celebrations. The presentation brought together African-inspired textiles, vivid colour, relaxed tailoring and contemporary silhouettes in an attempt to position Nigerian fashion within a more international visual vocabulary.

What makes BEAUTY IN BLACK particularly interesting is that Aroworayi does not approach African fashion through a strictly traditional lens. Instead, the collection experiments with how recognisable African colour, print and textile language can coexist with silhouettes that feel more contemporary and accessible beyond the continent.

A confident and unconventional colour story

Colour is one of the strongest elements of the collection.

Rather than restricting the palette to literal interpretations of black, Aroworayi allows vivid yellow, green, blue, red, white and multicoloured prints to compete for attention. The result is energetic and distinctly African without becoming visually predictable.

The use of saturated yellow and green is particularly effective in communicating optimism and cultural vibrancy, while the blue-based prints introduce a cooler visual counterpoint. Multicoloured striped elements add movement and youthfulness to the collection.

There is, however, an interesting tension between the collection’s title, BEAUTY IN BLACK, and its highly expressive colour palette. Rather than reading “black” simply as a colour, the collection can be interpreted through Black identity, African creativity and the beauty of African self-expression. That distinction gives the title greater conceptual potential.

African prints without being trapped by tradition.

Aroworayi’s strongest design decision is arguably his refusal to treat African textiles as something that must remain within conventional silhouettes.

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The collection takes recognisable African-inspired prints and places them into modern dresses, coordinated separates, trousers, shirts and relaxed forms. This creates a bridge between heritage and contemporary fashion.

The silhouettes are particularly significant because they make the collection accessible to a younger and more internationally minded audience. Instead of relying entirely on traditional Nigerian garments to communicate identity, Aroworayi allows the fabric, colour and styling to carry much of the cultural narrative.

This is consistent with GlamCityz’s contemporary description of his work at the exhibition as a fusion of African and Western styles, highlighting bold prints and modern silhouettes.

The unisex proposition

The decision to present BEAUTY IN BLACK as a unisex collection is another important aspect of Aroworayi’s approach.

Several of the looks demonstrate how African prints can move between masculine and feminine styling without losing their identity. The use of trousers, shirts, loose-fitting garments and coordinated separates creates a degree of flexibility that challenges the idea that African fashion must be divided rigidly between menswear and womenswear.

This approach also gives the collection commercial potential. Contemporary global fashion increasingly values garments that can communicate identity while allowing individual interpretation, and Aroworayi’s collection participates in that conversation through an African design vocabulary.

Silhouette and movement

The silhouettes favour ease, movement and wearability rather than excessive structural complexity. This is particularly visible in the relaxed dresses and trouser-based looks.

There is a deliberate contrast between the strength of the prints and the relative simplicity of some of the silhouettes. This is an effective choice because overly complicated construction could compete with the textiles themselves.

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From a critical standpoint, however, some looks could benefit from greater variation in proportion and stronger styling differentiation. The collection sometimes allows the prints to become the dominant visual event, while more dramatic manipulation of shape could have pushed the editorial impact further.

That said, the restraint also demonstrates an understanding of an important design principle: not every element needs to compete for attention.

Cultural identity meets international fashion

Perhaps the most successful aspect of BEAUTY IN BLACK is its attempt to make African fashion understandable to an international audience without completely removing its cultural identity.

The collection does not simply reproduce traditional Nigerian clothing. Instead, it asks how Nigerian visual culture can be translated into contemporary fashion.

That question is increasingly important for African designers operating internationally.

Aroworayi’s presentation in Dubai is significant in this context. Dubai provided an international setting in which Nigerian design could be viewed outside its home market, while the collection itself attempted to communicate Nigerian identity through a combination of print, colour, silhouette and styling. The original GlamCityz coverage similarly described the exhibition as a meeting point between traditional Nigerian patterns and fabrics and contemporary Western fashion.

A collection with room to evolve

BEAUTY IN BLACK is not without areas for development. The presentation could have benefited from a more tightly controlled runway narrative, particularly in the relationship between styling, model presentation and individual looks. Some of the strongest garments might also have benefited from more focused visual framing.

But those observations do not diminish the central achievement of the collection.

Aroworayi demonstrates an ability to translate African cultural references into contemporary, wearable and gender-inclusive fashion, rather than simply reproducing established traditional forms.

More importantly, BEAUTY IN BLACK reveals a designer interested in the larger question of what African fashion can become when it enters an international environment.

The collection’s greatest strength is therefore not any single garment. It is the conversation between culture and contemporary design.

Presented in Dubai on Nigeria’s Independence Day, BEAUTY IN BLACK offered a visual statement that African fashion can retain its cultural identity while continuing to evolve, experiment and participate in the language of global fashion.

For Aroworayi, the collection was not simply about dressing the African body. It was about asking how African identity can be designed, interpreted and worn in a changing global fashion landscape.

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The smiles in Simi and Adekunle Gold’s latest family photos say a lot. Their son, Adeifemi Oba Ajani Kosoko, has been dedicated to God, giving the couple another beautiful reason to celebrate their growing family.

Simi made the moment even more special with the words she shared alongside the photos. She called her son her “Jesus Baby” and offered a heartfelt prayer over his life.

She asked God to keep him under His care and let His face shine upon him. She prayed for his body, mind, spirit and soul, asking for good health, peace and joy as he grows. There was also a softer, more playful side to the caption as she called him her “Fresh Prince,” “My lil Champ” and “My baby boy.”

Those words say a lot about how she sees him. He is her little boy, her champion and, most importantly, a child she wants to grow under God’s protection. This dedication also brings back the sweet way Simi and Adekunle Gold announced that they were expecting another child.

In December 2025, the couple revealed the pregnancy through Adekunle Gold’s My Love Is The Same music video. Simi appeared with her baby bump, while their daughter, Adejare, was also part of the special reveal. It was a beautiful way to announce that Adejare was about to become a big sister.

The all-white theme made the dedication photos even more striking. Adekunle Gold went for a flowing white agbada, styled with matching trousers and a white Yoruba cap. The embroidery across the front added detail to the outfit without taking away from its clean look. His dark sunglasses gave the traditional outfit a relaxed, modern finish, while the wide agbada sleeves kept the look classic.

Simi chose a more glamorous take on the colour. Her fitted white gown was covered in sparkling beadwork, with detailed patterns running across the bodice, sleeves and length of the dress. The sheer sleeves added a delicate touch, while the fitted shape gave the look a polished finish.

Her large white headwrap gave the outfit that unmistakable Nigerian traditional feel and framed her face beautifully. She completed the look with sparkling earrings, a detailed clutch and silver-toned shoes.

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Adekunle gave us traditional agbada elegance. Simi brought the sparkle. And together, they looked every inch like proud parents celebrating their little boy.

But beyond the fashion, the dedication carries a bigger meaning. This is the same family that announced they were expecting another baby months ago. Now he has been dedicated to God, surrounded by his parents and big sister, with prayers spoken over the life ahead of him.

Adeifemi’s dedication may have come with beautiful clothes and lovely pictures, but at the heart of it was something much simpler, a family grateful for their little boy.

Photo: @symplysimi | Instagram

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu gave viewers another fashion moment during Sunday night’s BBNaija Season 11 live eviction show, stepping out in a striking black-and-white look that played with proportions, layering and unexpected accessories.

For the second live show of the season on August 9, the BBNaija host wore a custom creation by Nigerian designer Atafo, putting a contemporary spin on classic menswear.

The look began with a crisp white button-down shirt featuring exaggerated French cuffs, layered underneath a boxy, short-sleeved black button-up shirt. Instead of the traditional tailored trousers, Ebuka opted for wide-leg cropped trousers that fell below the knee, giving the outfit a relaxed but deliberately structured silhouette.

He completed the monochrome look with white crew socks and black leather loafers, while a black beret and thick black-framed glasses added a slightly retro touch.

But, as expected with an Ebuka look, the accessories were just as important as the clothes.

A slim black tie was layered underneath a multi-strand pearl necklace, bringing an unexpected touch of jewellery to the otherwise structured menswear look. He also carried a Louis Vuitton Keepall in Monogram Eclipse canvas, adding a luxury finish to the outfit.

What makes the look stand out is the way the proportions work together. The more structured upper half is balanced by the relaxed, wide-leg trousers, while the cropped length allows the socks and loafers to become part of the styling rather than an afterthought.

The pearls are another detail worth noting. Wearing them over a tie gives traditional tailoring a more fashion-forward feel without taking away from the sharpness of the outfit.

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Ebuka has long made fashion part of the BBNaija live show experience, and this latest look continues that tradition. His eviction-night outfits have become something viewers look forward to almost as much as the drama inside the house.

For this appearance, Atafo and Ebuka kept things relatively restrained in colour but pushed the look through silhouette, layering and accessories. The result is a modern black-and-white outfit that feels relaxed, polished and unmistakably Ebuka.

And if there is one thing this look proves, it is that black and white does not have to be boring. With the right proportions and a few unexpected details, even classic menswear can make a statement