A Study of Indigenous Tie-Dye Traditions in Abeokuta and Their Influence on Contemporary Fashion in Ogun State

The Adire and Kampala tie-dye traditions of Abeokuta represent a vibrant living craft practice that has increasingly intersected with contemporary fashion entrepreneurship, and examining this intersection provides important insight into the creative and commercial dynamics of South West Nigerian craft-fashion hybrid practice. This study examined indigenous tie-dye traditions in Abeokuta and their influence on contemporary fashion design in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. A qualitative descriptive design was adopted, combining fieldwork at Itoku market (Abeokuta's principal Adire market), structured interviews with 20 dyers and 12 fashion designers who incorporate Adire and Kampala fabrics in their work, and content analysis of 50 fashion pieces produced by Abeokuta-based designers. Results showed a vigorous market ecosystem in which traditional dyers produce for both ceremonial and fashion markets, with fashion designers buying dyed fabric for construction into high-end garments. The most commercially successful designers integrated traditional techniques with contemporary tailoring for international diaspora markets. Social media platforms, particularly Instagram and TikTok, were cited by 83.3 percent of fashion designers as their primary marketing channel. Cultural preservation concerns were raised by senior dyers who noted declining investment in mastering the full Adire pattern vocabulary in favour of commercial Kampala bleach-tie variations. The study recommends master-apprentice documentation partnerships and a fashion-craft incubator model for Abeokuta to sustain the creative tradition commercially.

Keywords: tie-dye, Adire, Kampala, Abeokuta, fashion design