Red velvet dress and gèlè-style hat
Shade Thomas-Fahm · 1977
Lagos, Nigeria
Shade Thomas-Fahm
- Nigerian textiles
- Modern womenswear
Shade Thomas-Fahm helped establish modern Nigerian fashion through clothes designed for the lives of working women. After studying fashion in London, she returned to Lagos in 1960 and opened Maison Shade, later Shade’s Boutique.
Five looks to know
Collection selection
Red velvet dress and gèlè-style hat
1977 — Lalage Bown commission
Thomas-Fahm made this ensemble for Lalage Bown’s OBE celebrations, using heavy velvet for the English weather. The V&A records that Bown ultimately wore it at her celebration party rather than the palace ceremony.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Silver lurex embroidered dress
1970s · Victoria and Albert Museum collection; original collection not stated
Bright chain-stitch embroidery gives a tailored kaftan form a bold central rhythm.
©Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Ọ̀kẹ́nẹ́ cotton open robe
1970s · Victoria and Albert Museum collection; original collection not stated
A long opening and fitted sleeves translate woven Nigerian cloth into a precisely cut robe.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Princess Kaftan
1970s · Victoria and Albert Museum collection; original collection not stated
An embroidered, body-shaped kaftan brings tailored definition to a flowing full-length form.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Bjay ensemble
1970s · Victoria and Albert Museum collection; original collection not stated
Coordinated blouse, wrapper, shawl and headwrap use embroidery to connect the ensemble’s separate parts.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, LondonCollections & archive pieces
1 collections represented · 1 piece1977 — Lalage Bown commission
1 piece
About Shade Thomas-Fahm
She championed Nigerian textiles and adapted familiar silhouettes with practical construction, including a zipped version of the wrapped ìró skirt and a ready-made gèlè. Her work brought local cloth, skilled embroidery and an independent business model into the cosmopolitan wardrobe of post-independence Nigeria.