A Review on Redefining Luxury: Stitched in history

In a world where fashion goes global, most typically in speed-of-light trends and mass manufacturing, something of a revolution is bubbling over on the African continent, led by brands more concerned with meaning than momentum.

Leading the charge is Jibbs, a celebrated Nigerian luxury fashion house founded in 2018 by Ajibola Opeyemi Olusoga. Larger than a fashion brand, Jibbs is a cultural phenomenon: one of balancing craftsmanship, sustainability, and the evolving identity of the modern African woman.

Rooted in Nigeria’s heritage and culture of art, Jibbs is reinventing African opulence. The source of inspiration for the brand’s aesthetic is ancient methods—namely, crochet, weaving, and hand-finishing—which have long been labelled warm or old-fashioned.

In Jibbs’ hands, these methods are translated into refined design languages that speak of heritage, determination, and creativity. Each item within the collection is a tableau of intent, with at least 50% hand-crafted by skilled local artisans, who happen to be predominantly women who bring generations of knowledge and tradition to each piece.

This time-honoured process not only ensures superior quality but also preserves a commitment to reducing environmental impact, placing Jibbs in the leadership of eco-friendly African fashion.

The brand’s dedication to sustainability is not a marketing pose but part of what it is. Natural, biodegradable products and eco-friendly processes form its mode of production, creating clothes that are not just visually beautiful but morally correct as well. At a time when work is treated with brutality and profit takes precedence, Jibbs offers a very different vision—one of people, planet, and cultural integrity in the luxury sphere.

This approach is especially significant in the broader context of Nigeria’s fashion business, which is today a booming and world-renowned industry. Nigerian designers are gaining fame for their ability to fuse traditional expertise with modern flair, as evident on runways from Lagos Fashion Week to abroad.

But fewer brands are as dedicated to the empowerment of indigenous artisans and the revolutionising of craft as high fashion as Jibbs.

The brand not only takes inspiration from Nigeria but builds its whole ecosystem there, nurturing local talent as well as assisting in the economic development of communities, particularly women.

Jibbs also excel due to its potent storytelling. Every collection engages with concepts of identity, femininity, and cultural agency, entwining individual and collective histories into the weave of garments.

This narrative turns apparel into not only wearable art but also a mode of self-expression, heritage, and resistance to normalised beauty standards.

All this being its foundation, Jibbs’ 2025 collection is a masterclass in Afrocentric innovation. From dashing reinterpretations of the power suit to avant-garde silhouettes constructed with textural depth, the collection showcases the brand’s remarkable ability to bridge tradition and contemporaneity.

In the breakdown that follows, we highlight three highlight pieces from the collection, each one a living testament to the brand’s remit: to reclaim form, empower women, and redefine luxury fashion through an African prism.

Look, one of Jibbs’s 2025 collection is a masterful interplay of restraint, structure, and cultural depth—an ensemble that speaks in soft tones but leaves a lasting impression.

It begins with a seemingly simple black-and-white palette, but beneath its minimalism lies a thoughtful composition that embodies the designer’s philosophy: honouring Nigerian heritage through refined, sustainable luxury.

The white blouse at the centre of this look is far from ordinary. Drawing from corsetry traditions, it nods to historical expressions of femininity while eschewing the restrictive boning of the past.

The result is a form-fitting bodice that shapes without constraining—a celebration of the female form that feels empowering rather than performative.

An asymmetric row of side buttons, possibly handcrafted, creates a subtle diagonal contour across the torso. This design choice isn’t just visual flair; it subverts expectations and reinterprets classic Yoruba styling, where garments like aso-oke often frame the body with intentional elegance.

However, as lovely as this buttoning detail is, it could be further emphasised or extended to draw even more attention to its structural ingenuity. As it stands, the detail risks being swamped by the stark simplicity of the white colour scheme.

The square neckline is a carefully chosen feature, neither overly romantic nor rigidly corporate. It straddles the space between softness and structure, revealing the collarbones while maintaining a strong architectural frame.

Just below, the blouse hints at a peplum flare. It’s not exaggerated, but enough to gesture toward iro and buba silhouettes that celebrate the waist and hips in traditional Nigerian dress.

Paired with sharply tailored black trousers, the look extends its architectural theme downward. The trousers’ high waist and elongated cut reinforce the overall silhouette, adding a linear strength that grounds the blouse’s intricate details.

Together, they create a visual rhythm—fluid yet controlled, modern yet unmistakably rooted in culture. That said, the peplum’s flare could benefit from slightly more volume or curvature to enhance its visual dialogue with the sharply tailored trousers.

A subtle fabric contrast or texture shift between top and bottom could also add dimension without disrupting the look’s purity.

Accessories are kept minimal to preserve the ensemble’s clarity. The model’s black stilettos echo the clean lines of the trousers, but the look is adaptable; artisan-made mules or textured flats could easily reinterpret the ensemble for different settings.

A statement earring or a woven clutch would add texture without overpowering the carefully balanced form.

This outfit is more than just fashion—it is a statement of identity and values. It portrays a woman who embraces her heritage with sophistication and strength, stepping forward with confidence, clarity, and purpose.

The second work in the Jibbs portfolio is a ceremonial dress that commands attention with stately restraint. Created in pale lavender, this piece captures the designer’s philosophy of merging heritage and innovation. Visually subdued but speaking volumes—through form, symbolism, and meticulous craftsmanship—is the gown.

Lavender, which suggests royalty and contemplation, offers a modern twist on traditional Nigerian ceremonial colour schemes.

Instead of deep purples that imply wealth, the muted tone suggests emotional intelligence and inner fortitude—a thoughtful salute to female sovereignty.

The gown’s high neckline and full sleeves recall the modest elegance of Yoruba, Hausa, and Tiv formal wear, but the approach is sculptural, not modest. It elongates posture and presence, redefining modesty as power.

The sleeves end in those dramatic white bell cuffs—architectural elements that nod to traditional Iro and Buba silhouettes.

The bold, shapely cuffs with their vibrant colour give the look punctuation with grace and movement, adding visual rhythm without battling the clean lines of the garment.

Some of the most ingenious details include the gown’s diagonal button placket, slicing across the torso in intentional asymmetrical design. Paired with a white panel along the skirt’s side, this angular silhouette creates movement while referencing the wrapped and layered forms of garments like iro or agbada.

It’s a quiet revolt against symmetrical visual vocabulary that feels at once innovative and rooted.

The gown maintains a disciplined shape—body-hugging but not tight, tapering slightly at the hips to suggest movement and grace. It was created to follow the natural curves of the body.

This is a gesture of refined restraint, every seam and every fold serving a purpose. The gown’s construction is its ornamentation, a reflection of Jibbs’s desire to celebrate African womanhood through understatement, not show.

Accessories are purposely understated: straightforward jewellery, neutral footwear, and maybe a handwoven clutch that resonates with the brand’s artisanal philosophy. This restraint allows the architectural and cultural narrative of the gown to become the focal point.

This gown was most certainly exquisitely composed, as for the few shortcomings, the white bell cuffs, while dramatic and culturally resonant, may veer into the realm of costume if not balanced with complementary design elements elsewhere in the garment.

Toning down their volume or integrating a similar detail—perhaps a white inset or piping along the hem—could bring visual cohesion.

Additionally, the asymmetrical white panel, though elegant, might benefit from a subtle texture or embroidery detail that ties back to the brand’s artisanal ethos, making the asymmetry feel more intentionally narrative rather than purely aesthetic.

Overall, this dress, created by women for women, reclaims ceremonial design as a mode of feminine authorship. In an era when the world draws from African traditions without acknowledgement, Jibbs responds with integrity, offering a piece that is as stunning as it is profoundly literate in its cultural tradition.

The third outfit in Jibbs’s collection reimagines the traditional power suit through an Afrocentric and artisanal lens. More than fashion, it reads as a sartorial declaration, where tailoring becomes a tool for reclaiming feminine authority within cultural and professional contexts.

It isn’t inspired by Western suits nor by overt femininity, but emerges as something entirely its own: structured, textured, and unapologetically African.

At the heart of the look is a cropped blazer—visually arresting for its asymmetrical lapel, raw hem, and exposed seam work.

These intentional irregularities defy conventional suiting, speaking instead to imperfection as identity and handmade craftsmanship as luxury.

On the other hand, to avoid an unfinished appearance, the blazer’s raw hem, while conceptually strong, could be better balanced with a small, tailored detail (such as a defined cuff or internal lining reveal).

The slightly boxy shoulders forgo the aggressive padding of 1980s power dressing, offering instead a calm, commanding silhouette.

The fabric’s tactile richness suggests indigenous textiles like aso-oke or akwete. It ripples with human touch and labour, rooting the outfit in both heritage and sustainability. Each seam and inconsistency adds value, transforming the suit into a canvas of cultural storytelling.

Completing the look is a structured mini skirt—fitted yet modest in intention. It features pronounced flap pockets, almost militaristic in their shape, representing functionality and autonomy.

Although the flap pockets on the skirt might overpower the garment’s sleek silhouette. A slightly smaller or more refined pocket size would preserve the utility element while streamlining the profile for more versatility, and a slightly elongated blazer cut would also add balance to the mini skirt’s length, making the look adaptable to more conservative settings while retaining its edge. Nonetheless, the skirt reclaims the mini as a symbol of confidence, not provocation.

Together, the cropped blazer and mini skirt form a compact silhouette—modern, kinetic, and deeply intentional. Jibbs’s sustainability ethos is evident in the exposed threads and unpolished finishes, celebrating the artisans behind the work.

Accessories remain minimal, with optional nods to African heritage through jewellery or handbags crafted from raw raffia or leather. Shoes could blend masculine and feminine energies—kitten heels, ankle boots, or mules—to support the suit’s balanced energy.

Ultimately, this look is more than style—it’s a cultural rebuttal. Jibbs challenges the dominance of Eurocentric professional wear by asserting a new visual vocabulary for African women: bold, rooted, and forward-thinking. The piece is a reclamation of form, labour, and power, elevating tailoring to both art and archive.

Jibbs’s ability to translate the intricate artistry of Nigerian heritage into contemporary forms is evident in these three looks. Each outfit balances traditional and modern styles, and each cut, fold, and button speaks to a commitment beyond fashion—one of cultural continuity, sustainability, and empowerment.

These garments are not just worn; they are narrated, lived, and remembered.