Who Dey Shake is a short film and photographic story by Lagos-based artist Lakin Ogunbanwo made in association with the V&A and Nataal. Included in the museum’s new exhibition, Africa Fashion, opening July 2, 2022, Who Dey Shake is part of a wider collaboration that sees Nataal dedicate a special section of our new print magazine to the show.

The project was initially sparked by Dr Christine Checinska, the V&A’s Senior Curator Africa and Diaspora: Textiles and Fashion. She was interested in the culture of movement and how clothing and adornment relates to identity through the performance of style. Ogunbanwo ran with this to come up with his own refined twist on the theme and then we invited songstress Falana to write a soundtrack for our cast of London-based creatives to dance to in the film.

“The concept made me think of ‘cultural day’ in Nigerian primary school and the energetic performance that always happens then. I also thought about the Bata dance stemming from Yoruba drumming traditions,” Ogunbanwo explains. “This story captures the joys of performing to the camera while showing off your finest African fashions. With sometimes ordinary, sometimes extravagant movements, the dancers communicate a feeling of confidence, satisfaction and elegance. And the magic of the moment is that, if you look closely, the clothes might just be dancing on their own.”

See the film screened at the Africa Fashion exhibition, on Nataal.com and V&A’s digital channels.

Africa Fashion is on view at the V&A, South Kensington, London, from 2 July 2022 to 16 April 2023. Discover it here