The atelier
Forty two pairs of hands
Inside the Agodi atelier: cutters, finishers, embroiderers and the weavers and dyers we work with across Oyo and Ogun.
The cutting room
Every pattern drafted by hand
Our cutters draft every pattern on brown paper, then cut a calico toile before any silk or aso-oke is touched. Bespoke patterns are kept in a cabinet for life.
From loom to look
Six weeks in the life of a gown
Week 1, the cloth
Aso-oke woven in Iseyin, eight centimetres at a time, or silk dyed in our own pots.
Week 2, the toile
A calico version is cut, fitted and adjusted.
Weeks 3 and 4, the cut
The final cloth is cut and basted for the first fitting.
Week 5, hand finishing
Rolled hems, hand sewn linings, beading and embroidery.
Week 6, the final fitting
Last adjustments, pressing and wrapping.
The makers
Who we work with
Cutters
Eight cutters, most trained here as apprentices.
Finishers
Hand sewing, beading and embroidery.
Weavers and dyers
Three weaving families in Iseyin and six dyers in Itoku.
Visit
Tour the atelier
On the first Saturday of the month, small groups can visit the cutting room and dye house. Free, with tea in the courtyard.
You are on the list
We will send the date and directions by WhatsApp. Your enquiry goes straight to the team's COVORN dashboard, and a client adviser replies within one working day.
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