As Flavour embarked on the London stop of his “The African Royalty Experience” tour, the revered Nigerian artist best known for his neo-highlife music made the news for two major reasons: his sold-out show at the 12,500-capacity OVO Arena Wembley and his unpredictably exciting fashion choices. During his performances, the “Big Baller” singer whose artistry has transcended genres and made him an essential part of mainstream Nigerian Afropop, wore two statement outfits; one, a white, feather-trimmed suit with a see-through corset by South African designer Rich Mnisi, and a backless, bedazzled black suit by Nigerian designer Orange Culture.
The overall show and Flavour’s outfits have been a main source of conversation on various social media platforms. While many praised Flavour’s electrifying performance at the show and celebrated how he has maintained an incredible level of relevance despite his decades-long presence on the Nigerian music scene, others wondered how his outfits came about.
Styled by close collaborator Swazzi, Flavour’s outfits directly reflect the artist’s reception to new and radical ideas. “He never doubts my crazy ideas,” Swazzi tells OkayAfrica. “He’s always ready to try something new and experiment.”
Swazzi says the styling for Flavour’s U.K. show was one of the toughest jobs he has done in a minute, mostly because he knew he would have to outdo himself. “Last year, he sold out Koko Camdem twice and the Prince-inspired look I styled him in was making headlines, so when his team reached out to me, I knew the outfits needed to be bigger,” he tells OkayAfrica.
While looking for brands to work with, Swazzi zeroed in on Rich Mnisi and Orange Culture, two of the continent’s most vibrant voices in fashion today. “I am always particular about the brands Flavour wears as I love him in African brands,” Swazzi says. “When I saw the white look, I thought it would bang on Flavour but I wasn’t sure if he would accept to wear it. I shared it with the team anyway and although I shared the look alongside other options, he specifically chose the white suit. The brand did a great job, we only did one fitting and everything fit perfectly.”
Photo by Michael Tubes Creations, courtesy of Swazzi.
Flavour’s white feather-trimmed suit with a see-through corset is by South African designer Rich Mnisi.
Swazzi reveals that although Flavour was happy with the look, he still had some anxiety about what the reactions would be to such a bold and subversive fashion statement. As it turns out, it was well received.
“[And] for the Black outfit, I reached out to Orange Culture and shared some ideas with him, then he came back to me with three rough sketches,” Swazzi says. “When I saw this [sketch] with the backless [design] and the cut in front, it was everything to me. That was how I imagined Flavour on stage in Orange Culture, everything also fitted perfectly.”
Photo by Michael Tubes Creations, courtesy of Swazzi.
Flavour’s backless, bedazzled black suit is by Nigerian designer Orange Culture.
Subverting tradition
Flavour has never been afraid to subvert tradition. It’s a character that’s first evident in his discography. In his earlier works, he often took on taboo, hypersexual conversations with tact and aplomb. He could sing about sex work with the same fervor and exactness as he did one of his many love songs. This penchant for unabashedly exploring the vast, unending landscape of desire offered a soft, beguiling part of him, ultimately building a sensual, classic lover boy image that has remained unshaken and as far as the Nigerian ecosystem goes, uncommon. As with his music, Flavour’s fashion choices have also been particular to him and the sensibility of dangerous allure that he holds dear. Known for regularly going shirtless in music videos or on stage, or sometimes making do with a see-through top, or even a halter top, you may never know what you’ll get with Flavour but it will always be exciting to witness.
Photo courtesy of Swazzi
Swazzi describes Flavour’s style as “Afro-futuristic.”
“I would describe Flavour’s style as Afro-futuristic,” Swazzi says. “He doesn’t want to look or be like anyone. So [styling wise] it’s a thing of always trying to do something that incorporates his sound and makes him stand out as well.”
Styling a superstar
Swazzi, who is also an industry heavyweight in the Nigerian fashion scene, having worked with other legendary artists like Asake, began working with Flavour over two years ago after a friend, who was photographing Flavour at the time, asked if he would like to take up the styling portion of the project. Although it was short notice, Swazzi says he managed to get custom-made looks for the shoot and not long after, Flavour asked to be styled by him for a video shoot. “I styled him for the ‘Game Changer’ music video and that was how it all started.”
Swazzi finds that bell-bottom pants and high-heeled boots are his favorite items to style Flavour in. “I always love styling him in those items because it adds more spice to his looks.” He adds: “I feel so happy and fulfilled with the reaction, I know it’s such a culture shift.”
Swazzi’s vision as a stylist is to create timeless looks that can be referenced or become a strong part of how an artist is remembered. It is that ethos that he brings when styling Flavour. “Every look needs to stand out and be timeless.”