Funke Akindele is getting ready to return to the big screen with The Four, her latest film, set for release this December. And if the film’s announcement is anything to go by, we already know the fashion is going to be part of the conversation.
For the announcement, the film’s cast staged a complete social media takeover, with each member sharing a magazine-cover-style portrait to introduce The Four to audiences. While the rollout certainly got our attention, it was the fashion behind those portraits that really made us pause.
For the press images, Adire is the order of the day, with the cast dressed in bold, sculptural looks that show just how versatile the Nigerian textile can be. Styled by Zack Styling Luxury, the looks were created by Aso.ng and Ola Reay Mens, bringing together structure, colour, hand-dyed textiles and wearable art.
Aso.ng describes the collection as “Structure Wearable Art; Adire”, and that description feels particularly fitting. The women of The Four are dressed in pieces that push Adire beyond its traditional associations, playing with exaggerated sleeves, sculptural silhouettes and statement proportions.
Funke Akindele wears an Adire puff-sleeved shirt, with the exaggerated shoulders giving the look a distinctly architectural quality. The combination of the rich print and dramatic shape makes a case for Adire as a fabric that can hold its own in a contemporary fashion editorial.
Bisola Aiyeola, meanwhile, stands out in the Fleur Poof Skirt, another sculptural piece that turns the familiar textile into something distinctly fashion-forward. The volume of the skirt creates drama while keeping the print firmly at the centre of the look.
For the men, Ola Reay Mens takes a similarly experimental approach to hand-dyed and hand-woven fabrics.
Timini Egbuson is dressed in a custom triple-lapel, triple-cuff cropped blazer, created from a blend of multi-hand-dyed prints. The piece is a custom iteration of Ola Reay’s unreleased 2027 collection and is paired with pleated, high-waisted trousers in hand-woven cotton.
Richard Mofe Damijo wears a custom clash hand-dyed print oversized blazer with matching flared trousers, leaning into the maximalist spirit of the shoot. The mix of prints makes the look feel deliberately bold without losing the tailored structure that ties the collection together.
Shoday, meanwhile, wears Ola Reay’s signature double-lapel, double-cuff blazer and barrel pants, crafted in custom hand-dyed and hand-woven fabric.
Across the cast, the styling feels less like a conventional movie press shoot and more like a fashion editorial. The silhouettes are big, the prints are unapologetic and the Adire is allowed to take centre stage.
It is also a reminder that Nigerian textiles can exist far beyond the expected. Here, Adire becomes the foundation for cropped tailoring, oversized suiting, sculptural skirts and exaggerated sleeves, proving once again that heritage textiles can be reinterpreted for contemporary wardrobes without losing their identity.
With The Four still months away from its December release, the cast has already given BellaStylistas something to talk about.
And honestly, if this is what the press tour is serving, we’ll be watching the fashion as closely as the film.
CREDITS:
Creative Director / Stylist: @zackstyling_luxury_
Male Designer: @ola.reay
Female Designer: @aso.ng_
Makeup Artist: @peaceibadin_mua
Hairstylist: @25thfairyhair
Photographer: @thedejioluokun