In an era of political suzerainty, we link up with Dodorowski for a second time — last time we created tees “as above, so below” inspired by local religious commentary — we’re relaunching the black and white version of that drop as part of this new collab.
In this iteration of our continued dialogue with the filmmaker and painter, we are going for global world domination, delivering a suit fit only for a chairman; this chairman is not your parent’s company chair, nor head of your favourite tech unicorn’s board, nor the boss you hail in the streets.
This is Chairman, the state leader!
The ultimate, self-appointed, ruler of the universe. A “Dictator” in black and black. Supreme leader, bringer of life, maker of worlds, without whom you can’t think, speak, even breathe. The look is strong and powerful because power is the ultimate aim.
Power is not a means, it’s an end in itself. Power for the sake of power. Dress for the sake of dress. Suit for the sake of suit!
As a Tarok* boy who grew up around uncles and relatives in the army, Dodorowski has always had a healthy fascination with the military. Wanting to be in the military so bad, Dodorowski had even applied to be in the Nigerian Defence Academy but failed the test — thankfully he was destined for a different kind of power.
*Tarok is a warrior tribe in Plateau state, Nigeria, that has produced the most army generals in the country.
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We are dictating our story.
THIS IS US and this is how we want our story to be told. We have a strong viewpoint on the Nigerian approach to creativity, and we’re dogged in our resolve to tell it how it ought to be told.
Dodorowski is coming off a recent creative stint. A period where his collaborative endeavours have broadened his ideological reach. On the back of creative collective, Surreal 16, a filmmakers union he found with two other directors, Dodorowski dropped "Juju stories", an anthology of three films (each shot by a member of the collective).
The films deal with themes of the supernatural in Nigerian culture. “Juju stories” presents local urban legends with hysterical, comedic, and tragic takes that make them feel real, while at the same time elevating their mythology — if you can feel the myth, then it transcends reality. Following its run on festival circuits, “Juju stories” is now showing in theatres across Nigeria, and will be released globally on streaming platforms later this year.
In December, Dodorowski and his mates at Surreal16 further stamped their collective boot on the Nigerian film industry, with the launch of S16, an indie film festival. S16 screened shorts and feature lengths from fellow unconventional directors, whose work portray new narratives with deep history, humour, and futuristic questioning. In one film a queer teen prances through a forest, blissful, as if imagining a future where government doesn’t interrupt their natural existence. This first edition of the festival served as a potential backdrop to launch Dodorowski’s Dictator suit; in fact as we made finishing touches to the exacting design (peep the width of those trousers!) Dodorowski planned to pose wearing the suit in front of the festival’s giant Monolith installation — a homage by S16’s organisers to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. In the end, he chose to wear a white tee and black trousers. The suit, we agreed, needed its own stage.
The Dictator suit is loose and fitted at the same time — tailored loungewear if you may call it. It’s casually light (watch those pants move) and equally stately. Read: hearty laughter from a seriously egomaniac and charismatic leader. The Dictator is that once in a lifetime outfit for every wardrobe, because you never know when you’ll need to be taken seriously with a smile plastered on your breast pocket. We’ve installed four pockets on the shacket, 2 on each breast and the other two below one on the left and another on the right, so you’ve got space for your name badge, pin, insignia and everything else you desire to hang on the pocket without a smile.