•HRM, THE OLUWO OF IWO’S SHOCKING REVELATIONS
When His Royal Majesty, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi became the Oluwo of Iwo in 2016, he began to wear the conventional Aso Oke Agbada that most Yoruba kings wear. Atimes, he would wear expensive white lace agbada and jazz it up with royal beads. But over time, the Ilufemiloye Telu 1 of Iwo, has stepped up his dressing. Have you noticed his new style? Have you noticed that his agbadas now look very colourful. If you haven’t lets quickly tell you more.
These days, when the Oluwo arrives at social events, all the paparazzis usually fall over each other to take shots of him. This is because the Oluwo wears very colourful and richly embroidered Agbadas that usually attracts a lot of attention because of its flourescent colours. He has stopped wearing his old royal outfits and has opted for this richly designed agbada that reeks of Class and Style. And wait for this! The production of each complete Agbada is done locally, in Iwo, by Oluwo’s tailor.
Why did he change his fashion style City People asked him. “Its to be in tune with time. The Agbadas and Ofi that our fathers and forefathers bequathed to us no longer fits into times like this. It was the embroidered one. They do embroidery with threads and cotton.
What I brought is a new message. And I have told you what it is: to upgrade and update. So, for that Ofi, I am the first Oba to start updating and upgrading it to be in tune with time, so that even our children of today that say they have embraced modern technology will look twice and say Wow! That is beautiful. I have a philosophy that informs my fashion & style. You will never see me at a function wearing what I started with. I have stepped up. I started with wearing white lace.
I started with wearing those kind of Ofi with cotton embroidery. I don’t do that anymore. I don’t wear that anymore. I can now put them in a museum. Now, those belong to the museum. But some kings are still wearing those. I must create my own. That is why I came up with my own design, to upgrade and update our culutre. To be in tune with time. So that it can stand the test of time.
I keep changing my styles. Its a different style now. That lace I used to wear when I started is expensive. They sold it for 250k to 300k, atimes 1 million. But you won’t know how much I bought the white fabric the way it is. What I wear now looks more regale. Its more shiny. It is like a regalia for a king.
It speaks volume when I step out I always look more royale, more regale. This is how I update and upgrade our culture. When you see me at parties now, what I wear makes our culture look very rich. Before now, you don’t see that. People see me at parties and functions and they say wow!
He represents a rich culture. I have seen many well to do people stop me to commend my Agbada, and my dressing.
They have said wow, you are the true representation of what kingship in Yorubaland needs to be like. Even when I travel abroad, I wear it. My Agbada is made from Aso Ofi. I have given what I wear now a name. I call it Telu Jeans. I have a new different style for my Agbada. The shape is different. I have upgraded my dressing from what I started from. I can’t wear most of my agbada anymore.”
“And do you know, I do my design myself. I style my own clothes. I design it and tell the tailor what to do and how to do it. And when the time coems, I will change it. I would tell my tailor I want an upgrade. Even children, men and women, when they see me outside they are proud that a king has just walked in. That is how I want us to see our culture and tradition.”
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