Creative photographer's hat themed project featured in Vogue

diipo adeusi

May 12, 2016 5:26 PM

For the Nigerian man, the hat is not just a basic part of his attire, it is representative of his crown and honor. It can also be used a symbol for respect and identification, either way, it sets Nigerians apart.

Lakin Ogunbanwo's hat themed project in Vogue

These days modern men such as DJ Spinall, who’s famously known as ‘the cap’, have put their own twist to it and now wear it with jeans and a T-shirt.

According to Vogue.com, this new photo series is currently displayed at Nataal’s New African Photography exhibit in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

“There’s historical symbolism, or what Ogunbanwo calls a “silent hierarchy,” tucked inside each and every hat: The towering red cap of the Igbo tribe, for example, is the reserve of men at the upper echelons of chiefdom—the taller the crown, the higher the wearer’s social standing. Impressive in both shape and size, the conical 'abeti aja' takes its curious yet playful title from the Yoruba phrase for “dog ears,” and is often worn on special occasions with an 'agbada', a grandiose cape that is equally audacious in its proportions.” – Vogue.

In Lakin’s statement to Vogue, “It’s only until you leave West Africa that you realize that people elsewhere aren’t dressing their head with the same importance that we do here. For Nigerian men, a hat adds a sense of confidence, it’s like a personal crown.”

Check out the portraits and let us know what you think.

diipo adeusi