Funke Akindele’s The Four Cast Makes a Case for Adire in Bold Press Tour Looks

Funke Akindele is getting ready to return to the big screen with The Four, her latest film, set for release this December. And if the film’s announcement is anything to go by, we already know the fashion is going to be part of the conversation.

For the announcement, the film’s cast staged a complete social media takeover, with each member sharing a magazine-cover-style portrait to introduce The Four to audiences. While the rollout certainly got our attention, it was the fashion behind those portraits that really made us pause.

For the press images, Adire is the order of the day, with the cast dressed in bold, sculptural looks that show just how versatile the Nigerian textile can be. Styled by Zack Styling Luxury, the looks were created by Aso.ng and Ola Reay Mens, bringing together structure, colour, hand-dyed textiles and wearable art.

Aso.ng describes the collection as “Structure Wearable Art; Adire”, and that description feels particularly fitting. The women of The Four are dressed in pieces that push Adire beyond its traditional associations, playing with exaggerated sleeves, sculptural silhouettes and statement proportions.

Funke Akindele wears an Adire puff-sleeved shirt, with the exaggerated shoulders giving the look a distinctly architectural quality. The combination of the rich print and dramatic shape makes a case for Adire as a fabric that can hold its own in a contemporary fashion editorial.

Bisola Aiyeola, meanwhile, stands out in the Fleur Poof Skirt, another sculptural piece that turns the familiar textile into something distinctly fashion-forward. The volume of the skirt creates drama while keeping the print firmly at…