Since 2021, Aleshinloye’s brainchild, Oríré, has built its name on sculptural volume, playful ruffles and bold colour. As Lagos Fashion Week brought the region’s fashion community together, the label unveiled Aṣọ Ìjó: Finery for Celebration, a flexible collection designed for every occasion worth dressing up for.

Beyond the chaos, there’s the nervousness that comes with unveiling a new collection. As the founder and creative director, she admits she feels it every time she presents her work: the anticipation, and the question of how people will receive it.

Over the years, Oríré has developed a visual language of its own. From its signature ruffles to its sculptural silhouettes, the brand has become increasingly recognisable, with an dressing that feels distinctly its own. Colour has always been central to this identity, with each shade and combination feeling intentional.

With Aṣọ Ìjó centred on celebration, there was a natural curiosity about what to expect. “I work with a range of neutral colours, but expect a lot of colour, as usual,” Aleshinloye said. “I think colour is a way of expressing joy without having to say anything.” For this collection, she worked with the full spectrum, pinks, yellows and patterns included.

There’s also something new. “For the first time, we’ve designed our prints in-house, and they’ll feature in this collection.”

For Aleshinloye, Aṣọ Ìjó represents something bigger than a new collection. “Definitely something bigger,” she says, because it brings “a new level of confidence in everyone that wears it.”

What interests me most about Oríré, beyond its distinctive aesthetic, is how it makes room for women at every stage of their lives. For instance, last year’s collection featured a pregnant woman, a striking moment that spoke to the brand’s approach to representation. Over time, Oríré has emphasised its commitment to diversity and inclusivity, embracing the many experiences of womanhood. “We want every woman to feel like there’s a place for her in this Oríré world that we’re building.”

That means pregnant women on the runway, and models across all ages, looks and skin tones. Aṣọ Ìjó continued that approach. “Celebration exists across so many stages of anybody’s life, a woman, a man. Everyone should experience the joy of celebration.”

Our conversation eventually returned to where it all began. Oríré launched in 2021, and I was curious what building the brand had actually looked like — especially as a Nigerian label working with local artisans — designing its own fabrics and producing at home. I was also interested in what it meant to attach so much of herself, particularly her name, to something she was building.

"I really had no plan when I was starting," Aleshinloye says, her voice catching slightly. “I just knew I wanted to express something creatively. I loved fashion and I wanted to have a fashion brand, and I wanted it to be something that would also exist beyond myself.” Naming it after herself was deliberate. “I wanted it to be incredibly personal. I wasn’t just building a business, I was putting a part of myself in the world”: her eyes, her taste, her understanding of how clothes should look and how they should make people feel. Building in Nigeria hasn’t come without hurdles. “It’s not like, oh yeah, we’ve hacked this,” she says. “It was hard. It’s still hard. But you find the balance.”

Five years into building Oríré, that balance has been part of the journey. It has been beautiful to watch Oríré’s journey and, even more, to see the brand grow. It’s one thing to have a vision, and another to translate your taste into something people can recognise and connect with. This year marks Oríré’s fifth anniversary: five years of building, experimenting and refining its identity. It may not be a decade yet, but it is a milestone worth celebrating.

Beyond the collection itself, I was interested in the thinking behind the show’s presentation, particularly the choice of venue and the collaboration with Jade Adeyemi. What did Aleshinloye hope people would feel as they entered the space? When they first discussed the show, she tells me, she knew she wanted it to feel like a gathering. “I just liked the idea of people coming together to experience the collection,” she says, which is why the show is circular.

She also wanted to explore the relationship between movement and clothing, so guests could watch the pieces travel around the room. “I wanted people to feel the joy and feel connected. Working with Jade was an easy choice. I’ve always loved her work. She was the best person for this, and she’s done a fantastic job.”

Movement extended beyond the clothes. Nigerian multi-instrumentalist Miki Ikhifa performed live as the models walked, providing the musical backdrop to the presentation. The Oríré team shared that Aleshinloye has long admired his work, particularly his fusion of jazz, Afrobeat and dance-driven rhythms. His sound was a natural fit for a collection centred on joy, movement and celebration.

For her, a gathering is also something culturally familiar. “In any celebration we do, most of the time people come together and share that space.”

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Show Credits
Creative Director - Orire Aleshinloye @orirealesh
Show Producer - Nimotalai Oki @stunninsss
Show Coordination - Barakat Oki @msokii_
Production Support - Eniola Hassan @eniolahassan_
Content & Editorial Director - Funke Braithwaite @funke.braithwaite
Model Coordinator - Fola Ogunmefun @sabinabonita
Runway Film - Kehinde Adewuyi @unclekennyy
Runway Photography - Bolaji Odukoya @bolajiodukoya_
Runway Photography - Chukwu Peter @jurneepeterchukwu
Backstage Videography - Tobi Atakpa @tobiknight_
Backstage Photography - Folajimi @folajimy
Sound - Miki Ikhifa @mikifazax
Show Venue - Ibis Hotel Lekki @ibis_lagoslekki