Lagos-
There is no skepticism in the fact that, Ogun State, Western Nigeria is staking its claim to the throne of steeze – gradually becoming the home to Kings of Steeze.
Gifted with truly rich, urbane, confident, intelligent, debonair, sophisticated, finest, gallant, elegant attractive, spiffy, mannered, stylish and uniquely fashionable people, the state has and will continue to leveraging on everything cultural, entertainment and artistic to draw the attention of the world.
Just last year, at the annual Ojude Oba Festival, an ancient celebration by the Ijebu extraction of Ogun State, there emerged Faruq Oreagba whose attire and elegant entrance into the arena of the festival caught the attend of the world, thereby earning him the moniker, “King of Steeze”.
Still basking in that euphoria, another King of Steeze emerged just recently in the person of Lai Labode, who initiated a novel concept, ‘Egbaliganza”-a high-end runway that celebrates the legacies of the Egba warriors, syncing with Lisabi Festival for its rightful space, complimenting the 38th edition, just like what Ojude Oba Festival represents.
As the state gains more prominence through the shadows of these Kings of Steeze, it should be rightly perceived as a declaration of community’s regal identity and the cultural richness embedded in the DNA of Egba-Jebu and other people of Ogun State, rather than comparison or assumption of competition between Faruq Oreagba and Lai Labode.
As a matter of fact, the world must see through them, a community rising from a powerful blending of tradition and modernity for economic growth, making the state a rising beacon of culture, fashion, entertainment and innovation in Nigeria, Africa and beyond.
From the flamboyant regalias at Ojude Oba Festival to the glamorous attires at Lisabi Festival, powered by Egbaliganza, it is perspicuously obvious that Ogun people know how to command attention with grace, pride and style.
In essence, steeze is definitely embedded in Yoruba people and it’s been displayed by these two extractions in their titles, fabrics, lifestyle, and their general looks. For certain, Ogun State will continue, if this is sustained to redefine what it means to be on fleek in 21st century.
It should be noted however that the trend is not just starting, the state has produced a wave of creative individuals in the past and present, blending old adire into streetwears, traditional songs into Afrobeat and Kings’ walks into global runway-“walkway of Kings”.
Ogun State is creating an authentic identity, blended in aesthetic fabrics that are distinctly African, making one unapologetically proud to be an African-Egbalite.
