Documenting changing fashion in Africa post-1960
This indigo buba, iro and gele was bought by the owner, Rounke, in Nigeria in the late 1970s. She remembers wearing it to a party when she was a university student in the early 1980s. It is made from woven blue striped cotton fabric. A buba is a tailored blouse, customarily worn by Yoruba women Read More …
Description: This is a strip of aso-oke fabric. Aso-oke translates as ‘top cloth’ or ‘high status cloth’. It is a formal cloth that is traditionally handwoven by the men of southwestern Nigeria using a narrow strip loom. It is primarily made from silk and cotton and comes in thin strips that are then sewn together. Read More …
Description: This is a piece of aso-oke fabric. Aso-oke translates as ‘top cloth’ or ‘high status cloth’. It is a formal cloth that is traditionally handwoven by the men of southwestern Nigeria. It is primarily made from silk and cotton and is woven in narrow strips that are then sewn together. Aso-oke remains poplular with Read More …
This aso-oke strip is from a wedding attendee’s outfit worn in 2014. Aso-oke translates as ‘top cloth’ or ‘high status cloth’. It is a formal cloth that is traditionally handwoven by the men of southwestern Nigeria using a narrow strip loom. It is primarily made from silk and cotton and comes in narrow strips that Read More …
Description: This man’s shirt is made from cotton cloth decorated with the adire eleko technique – fabric dyed with indigo using a starch resist. Cassava paste is applied to cloth through a stencil or painted on. Areas where this is painted resist the indigo dye. This design is called Sun Bebe and refers to the Read More …
This is a Wodaabe woman’s wrapper. The intricate embroidered designs are crafted by women in abstract patterns.This example was collected in Burkina Faso. Collected as part of the ‘Fashioning Africa’ project. Creator: unknown Place: West Africa, Africa Date: unknown
This tunic is a young boy’s version of those worn by Wodaabe men during festivals. The intricate embroidered designs are crafted by women in abstract patterns.This example was collected in Burkina Faso. Collected as part of the Fashioning Africa project. Creator: unknown Place: West Africa, Africa Date: unknown
This tunic and goatskin wrapper would be worn by a Wodaabe man during the annual Gerewol festival, where men compete to be recognised for their beauty. The intricate embroidered designs are crafted by women in abstract patterns. This example was collected in Burkina Faso. Collected as part of the ‘Fashioning Africa’ project. Creator: unknown Place: Read More …
This Hausa indigo robe has been dyed with a concentrated indigo dye to give it a deep, dark blue colour and a glazed sheen. It was originally collected as a new, unworn piece in the 1970s from Northern Nigeria. The dye is so concentrated that it can still rub off on contact with other material. Read More …