Folake Olowofoyeku Praised ‘Bob Hearts Abishola’ Wedding Dress Costume Designer Karla Stevens Flanigan
The Bob Hearts Abishola wedding episode brought a lot of attention to the Chuck Lorre CBS show. Bob Hearts Abishola Season 3, Episode 2, “Bowango,” saw the crew take every length to create an authentic Nigerian wedding, from the colors to the decorations. And ahead of the show making Bob and Abishola married, Folake Olowofoyeku tweeted a video of costume designer Karla Stevens Flanigan fitting her for the Bob Hearts Abishola wedding dress.
Folake Olowofoyeku called costume designer Karla Stevens Flanigan ‘amazing’ for the ‘Bob Hearts Abishola’ wedding dress
Billy Gardell and Olowofoyeku pushed to bring attention to the wedding episode. They even said that the Bob Hearts Abishola cast and crew deserved an Emmy Nomination.
“Oh, man, I mean I said to our wardrobe department that if they don’t send this for an Emmy nomination, something is wrong. I don’t think this is going to be topped all year,” Gardell told CBS Minnesota. “I mean, they were so authentic from the dress to the way that the wedding is supposed to be performed; the week of festivities. They really nailed it.
And before the episode aired, Olowofoyeku gave a special shout-out to costume designer Karla Stevens Flanigan on Twitter.
“Me/Folake as Abishola getting fitted for her wedding dress with our amazing Costume Designer, Karla Stevens Flanigan,” Olowofoyeku said.
Flanigan has also done work for the Jaime Pressly Mom series and the pilot of Hot in Cleveland.
And the former bassist for David Bowie, Folake Olowofoyeku, had more praise for the rest of the crew.
The actor wants recognition for the art department and crew of the Chuck Lorre CBS show
Before joining the series, Gina Yashere wanted to ensure the CBS show felt authentic. In addition to praising Flanigan for the Bob Hearts Abishola wedding dress, Olowofoyeku recognized everyone who had a hand in making the season 3 episode feel like it truly represented Nigeria. Everything came together, from the Bob Hearts Abishola wedding dance to the music and more.
“If they aren’t recognized for the amount of work that went into these episodes, it’s going to really be a disservice. We see an assimilation blending American sitcom into the Nigerian space in a way we’ve never seen before,” Olowofoyeku told CBS Minnesota. “The wedding decorations are exactly a replica of how you would see them in Nigeria.”
When representing a culture, it often comes down to details. And the Modern Family guest star said the wardrobe department replicated the Bob Hearts Abishola wedding dress “down to the stitch.”
“There is a particular way to decorate, and they have that down to a tee,” Folake Olowofoyeku said. “The wardrobe is also replicated down to the stitch in a way that we’ve never seen on American television before. This is a historic moment, and I think folks don’t want to miss it.”
Folake Olowofoyeku hoped to wear the ‘Bob Heart Abishola’ wedding dress in Nigeria
Before Bob Hearts Abishola Season 3, Abishola’s ex-husband Tayo (Dayo Ade) wanted to keep her son, Dele, in Nigeria. This led to fans asking if Travis Wolfe Jr. was leaving Bob Hearts Abishola. However, Bob and Abishola took off for Lagos, Nigeria to take him home. Then, Matt Jones, Maribeth Monroe, and Christine Ebersole’s characters followed shortly after.
This lined up perfectly with Olowofoyeku expressing an interest in actually filming in the country.
“I would love us to pack up and go to Nigeria and shoot a couple of episodes there. It would be marvelous if we could shoot the entire wedding in Nigeria because weddings in Nigeria take several days,” she told BET in 2021. “That would be great.”
And she got her wish. Bob Hearts Abishola Season 3 filmed some scenes in Nigeria.
“We actually literally drive past the house that I grew up in,” she told CBS Minnesota. “That’s how authentic it is.”
