Pelumi: Infusing Modern Trends to Traditional Hair Styles Remains my Hallmark

Hairstyles are highly revered to the Yoruba people in Nigeria, with various designs made to suit different social occasions, festivals, ceremonies and often welcomed among social groups and compulsory among girls in secondary school.

Traditionally, hairstyling has been an amazing vocation and as a tool of empowerment especially for women folks.

Across the years, hairstyles are generally designed to suit various occasions and traditional worshipers are also known to have designed their hair in connection to the ethos of their religion.

For Omoosumi Pelumi, also known as priest touch who recently hosted an hair art exhibition in Nigeria themed “ÒNÍDÌRÍ”, believes that her passion in infusing modern trends into traditional hairdo remains ways of expression her creativity and hallmark in the fashion industry.

In Yoruba language, ONIDIRI is a word that translates to “HAIR MAKER” in English, who is tasked with creating and making traditional hairdos using various traditional techniques.

Generally, hair making in Yoruba culture for women goes beyond beauty and style and but remains an avenue of expressing one’s self esteem, confidence and affinity to a particular belief that can be traced back in history.

Affirming the above, Pelumi noted that It is a significant part of Youruba people’s identity and tradition, “which has a unique and meaningful history linked to their cultural and spiritual symbols of their society.”

Ideally, an Onidiri is considered as an artist therefore equating the task of hairdo to the task and process of other artistic expressions such as sculpting and the likes of it.

According to Pelumi being inspired by the art of hair making and its importance in the Yoruba culture she was able to infuse it into his craft as an hairstylist, hence passion in organizing the hair art exhibition in Nigeria themed “ÒNÍDÌRÍ” that attracted several professionals in the industry thereby laying the foundation for the take-off of the burgeoning sector.

He said, the art of hair making as been passed down from generations to generation dating back to 2000 years ago

According to him, the rise of new hair trends, the culture of hair making in Africa and its significance are almost forgotten, hence the purpose of the exhibition.

“At the exhibition traditional styles from ancient African history were showcased, alongside artistic hairdos comprising of the fusion of the Yoruba traditional hairstyles and new afro futuristic hairstyles.

“Hair art was also done on canvas to prove that hair making and styling is also an integral part and form of Art and should be regarded as of much importance as any other work of art would be, and it should not just be considered as a form of fashion.*

“Infusing old Yoruba traditional hairstyles into the hair art done on live models, was to bring about a rebirth of the Yoruba culture in terms of hair making.

As the fashion industry continues to grow and attract huge foreign exchange, creating awareness about styles and trends in the hair making industry can help boost the economy of the country and reduce unemployment rate.

born out of classic traditional hairstyles that will never fade or go out of fashion but rather, are repurposed and redesigned into what we call afro futuristic trends.