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Documenting changing fashion in Africa post-1960

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Home »View all posts by  kathleenlawther (Page 6)

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a sample of brown shweshwe fabric featuring Nelson Mandela, with a label reading 'Madiba's Range'

R6106/1 Textile; Shweshwe

Posted on

This piece of shweshwe fabric is produced by Da Gama. Shweshwe is a printed cotton fabric that is so ubiquitous in southern Africa that it has been called the denim of the region. The fabric features portraits of Nelson Mandela or ‘Madiba’ as he was affectionately known in South Africa, and comes from the ‘Madiba’ Read More …

CategoriesExplore Flat Textile CollectionsTagsPolitical, shweshwe, South Africa, textiles

Black and white photograph of man in vest and shorts with hunting gear and bow and arrow

R6105/4 Photograph ‘#1’

Posted on

This photo shows a man wearing a vest and shorts with work tools and hunting gear including a bow and arrow. He is a migrant worker at the Okombone compound in Namibia. The work is from John Liebenberg’s series ‘Weekends at the Okombone’. Liebenberg was a South African photojournalist known for documenting war and protest Read More …

CategoriesExplore Art and PhotographyTagsLiebenberg, Namibia, Photography

Black and white photograph of man with tailcoats and briefcase

R6105/3 Photograph ‘#19’

Posted on

This photo shows a smartly dressed man wearing a tailcoat with a briefcase. It was taken at the Okombone compound in Namibia where migrant workers were housed. He is probably a salesman who has come to sell clothes to the workers. This work is from the series ‘Weekends at the Okombone’ by John Liebenberg, a Read More …

CategoriesExplore Art and PhotographyTagsLiebenberg, Namibia, Photography

Black and white photograph of man wearing a hat, open striped shirt and two watches

R6105/2 Photograph ‘#3’

Posted on

This photograph shows a man wearing a hat, an open striped shirt and two watches. He is a migrant worker at the Okombone compound in Namibia. This work is from the series ‘Weekends at the Okombone’ by John Liebenberg, a South African photojournalist who worked in Namibia in the 1980s. Black and white photographic print Read More …

CategoriesExplore Art and PhotographyTagsLiebenberg, Namibia, Photography

Black and white photograph of two women and three men outside a café

R6105/1 Photograph ‘Sunday Afternoon at the Love Café’

Posted on

This photograph shows two women wearing fashionable outfits, standing the the doorway of a cafe, with three men in the background. John Liebenberg was a South African photojournalist who worked in Namibia. This work is from the series ‘Bush of Ghosts’ and was taken when he worked for the publication ‘The Namibian’ in the 1980s. Read More …

CategoriesExplore Art and PhotographyTagsLiebenberg, Namibia, Photography

blue and white shweshwe fabric

R6104/9 Textile; Shweshwe

Posted on

This fabric is called shweshwe, an iconic printed cotton textile that is so popular it has become known as the denim of southern Africa. The name shweshwe is derived from King Moshoeshoe I of Lesotho (c. 1786 – 1870) who first popularised it. It is also known as German cloth after the Swiss and German Read More …

CategoriesExplore Flat Textile CollectionsTagsProduction, shweshwe, South Africa

Shweshwe promotional calendar printed with samples of designs by da Gama

R6104/8 Shweshwe Calendar

Posted on

This calendar printed on cotton was produced by Da Gama to promote their range of shweshwe fabrics. Shweshwe, or German cloth as it is also known in some areas, is a printed cotton fabric that is so ubiquitous in southern Africa that it has been called the denim of the region. This calendar features examples Read More …

CategoriesExplore Flat Textile CollectionsTagsProduction, shweshwe, South Africa

cardboard sample book with three white cat faces on a red background with a black border

R6104/6 Shweshwe Sample Book

Posted on

This sample book or catalogue was produced by Da Gama to showcase their range of shweshwe fabrics to textile buyers. Shweshwe, or German cloth as it is also known in some areas, is a printed cotton fabric that is so ubiquitous in southern Africa that it has been called the denim of the region. Shweshwe Read More …

CategoriesExplore Flat Textile CollectionsTagschanging trends, shweshwe, South Africa, Textile examples

brown and white shweshwe precut skirt panel featuring Nelson Mandela

R6104/5 Textile; Shweshwe

Posted on

This skirt panel is made from shweshwe fabric, printed by Da Gama. Shweshwe is a printed cotton fabric that is so ubiquitous in southern Africa that it has been called the denim of the region. The fabric features a portrait of Nelson Mandela or ‘Madiba’ as he was affectionately known in South Africa. This panel Read More …

CategoriesExplore Flat Textile CollectionsTagsPolitical, shweshwe, South Africa

sample of blue and white shweshwe fabric featuring a portrait of Nelson Mandela

R6104/4 Textile; Shweshwe

Posted on

This skirt panel is made from shweshwe fabric, printed by Da Gama. Shweshwe is a printed cotton fabric that is so ubiquitous in southern Africa that it has been called the denim of the region. The fabric features a portrait of Nelson Mandela or ‘Madiba’ as he was affectionately known in South Africa. This panel Read More …

CategoriesExplore Flat Textile CollectionsTagsPolitical, shweshwe, South Africa

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  • Home
  • Find Out More About the Project
    • Collecting Panel
    • Sourcing the New Collection
    • Access and Events
    • Textiles Study Day
    • Textiles Training and Skills Development
    • Further Reading
  • Explore The New Collection
    • Art & Photography
    • Garments
    • Textiles
    • Accessories
    • View by Country
  • See Exhibition and Display Archives
    • Fashion Cities Africa Exhibition
      • Fashion Cities Africa Films
      • Featured Designers
      • Fashion Cities Africa by Hannah Azieb Pool
    • Fashion Cities Africa: Brighton Stories Display
    • Framing Fashion Display
    • Object Journeys Displays
      • Township Journeys
      • Aso Oke: A Celebration of Style
  • Acknowledgements
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