Wole Soyinka: African On His Own Terms

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, is a role model to many. He endeared himself to people with his outspoken approach to situations disturbing the peace of the nation.

Although in recent time, it seems he has fallen from grace in the eyes of his once admirers.

Aside being a force to reckon with when it comes speaking up against corruption, he has a style that many admire.

The father of poetry sure looks fabulous for someone that just turned 90 years old.

His fashion is all about the African culture with a touch of his own personal twist.

His gray afro hairstyle that he wears with pride over the years has encouraged many men not to shave off all their hair and stop dying the lovely gray strands that come with age.

His hairstyle is so much his identity that anyone seen wearing similar haircut, with a few white strands is seen to be inspired by him.

It is said that the legendary story behind Soyinka’s Afro hair was because he once went to a barbershop to get a haircut and the Attendant didn’t give him the right cut, he asked for and from then on, he quit cutting his hair.

He is also known with shirts without collar. In an old interview on why he started wearing collarless shirts, Soyinka said: “It was as a result of my abandonment of ties. I felt restricted by ties. I often wondered why on earth should somebody put a rope around my neck and at the same time they don’t like being hanged. Does it make sense to you? Once I abandoned ties, the next thing was ‘what was that collar doing around my neck? There is nothing mysterious about it; straightforward practicality.”

He is well known for wearing plain monochrome colours, white or black especially.

He sometimes throws a waistcoat on his rare type of regalia, creating a distinct style only him understands. He stuck with this look for many years that it has become his identity.

A little bit of his class rubbed off on the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, which was named after him, as it wears a remarkable new look.

Any time, the recently turned 90 years old Professor Soyinka steps out, his appearance is always on a class of its own.