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Ilé Aró.

Our story

Ilé Aró, the House of Indigo

Ilé aró means “house of indigo” in Yoruba. The idea for this shop comes from a real Adire and Aso oke seller, and from a wish for more people to know the cloth and the stories dyed and woven into it.

Every piece here comes with its motif and what that motif means, because in Yoruba cloth a pattern is rarely just a pattern. It can be a proverb, a prayer or a piece of history worn on the body.

Three ways to make Adire

Adire means “tied and dyed”. Each technique stops the indigo from reaching part of the cloth in a different way.

  • starch resist

    Eleko

    Starch-resist Adire. Cassava paste is hand-painted or stencilled onto cloth before indigo dyeing, so the painted areas stay light. The home of named motifs like Olokun and Ibadandun.

    Shop Eleko

  • tie resist

    Oniko

    Tie-resist Adire. Raffia is tied around seeds, pebbles or folds of cloth, giving circles, rings and stripes.

    Shop Oniko

  • stitch resist

    Alabere

    Stitch-resist Adire. Raffia or thread is sewn into the cloth in lines and shapes, then pulled out after dyeing to reveal fine patterns.

The three classic Aso oke

The three prestige weaves of Yoruba tradition: Sanyan (wild silk, beige-brown), Alaari (rich red) and Etu (deep indigo, fine stripes). Hand-woven in narrow strips, historically in Iseyin.

  • Sanyan

    Natural beige-brown

    The most prestigious Aso oke: wild silk in natural beige-brown, worn by elders and at major ceremonies.

  • Alaari

    Red with gold stripes

    The rich red of royalty and celebration.

    See Alaari Gele and Ipele

  • Etu

    Dark indigo, white stripes

    Deep indigo with fine white stripes, prized for its quiet elegance.

    See Etu Gele and Ipele

Sources

Motif names and meanings come from these public sources. Prices in this shop are placeholders for an internship project.