ILÉ ILÀ
‘
Our chairs are functional
ART’
Tosin Oshinowo, the founder of lifestyle furniture brand Ilé Ilà, can sum up the inspiration for her range of handcrafted chairs in one word: “colour”. For proof, check out the Lagos company’s latest radiant design, Àdùnní – an armchair and accompanying foot-stool upholstered with a choice of seven shades of the vibrant Yoruba textile Asò-oké. As with all Ilé Ilà products, design and production is proudly Nigerian from start to finish.
T
he cloth is hand-loomed
new directions and why chairs are
beyond what you are referencing.
here and a team of Lagos
supposed to be special.
A lot of the creativity I have today is
carpenters working with
locally sourced teak create the chair’s frame while design inspiration has come from homegrown muses such as singers Adekunle
20
based on that.
Living in Lagos has taught me that creativity comes from confinement
Our furniture is aspirational and I think that’s how it should be
Gold and Chidinma Ekile as well
When you are stuck in a box you
as creative designer Oladotun
have to be learn to be creative
Ojuolape Kayode. The results, which
with the elements of the limita-
Oshinowo describes as “functional
tions surrounding you. I grew up
art”, blend traditional and modern
in a Lagos in the 1980s under a
have three or four in your home. It
Africa as well as comfort and
military regime and it was difficult
is special and the price [US$ 1,975]
functionality. Here the designer and
to get anything brought in from the
reflects that. It’s functional art and
architect (she designed Maryland
outside. We learnt to be creative, to
I like the fact that purchasing them
Mall, known as the ‘Big Black Box’,
learn to make things yourself actually
means something to people. I have
in Lagos) shares her thoughts on
out of imitation to replicate things
met couples that bought this chair
why creativity loves challenge,
you have seen in the outside world.
for their first home together so I
how collaboration has taken her in
In doing that you start to be creative
know they value and appreciate
There is something really strong MUSE Chidinma Ekile
about the Àdùnní line. I don’t think it’s the kind of piece where you
