Documenting changing fashion in Africa post-1960
This gele forms part of an occassion or bridalwear woman’s outfit. It is made of hand woven aso-oke fabric, tailored and embellished with crystals. It was designed and made by Abiola Aso-oke, a generational aso-oke fashion business in Lagos. It took eight weeks to produce and was woven on a vertical loom by a female Read More …
This calendar shows the dates of general and textile markets in the Volta Region and features images of the regional kente festival. Bought in Ho, Holta Region, Ghana by Brighton Museum & Art Gallery for the Fashioning Africa Project. Creator: unknown Place: Ghana, West Africa, Africa Date: 2017
This poster features a photo montage of contemporary hairstyles. It was collected from the Agbozume textiles market in Ghana by Brighton Museum & Art Gallery for the Fashioning Africa Project. Creator: unknown Place: Ghana, West Africa, Africa Date: 2017
This poster features a photo montage of contemporary hairstyles. It was collected from the Agbozume textiles market in Ghana by Brighton Museum & Art Gallery for the Fashioning Africa Project. Creator: unknown Place: Ghana, West Africa, Africa Date: 2017
This weaver’s kit comprises 17 tools used to weave Ewe and ‘Nigerian type’ kente strips, which are then sewn together to make kente cloth. It was bought from a stall that supplies equipment to local weavers, located in the Agbozume Textile market. Kente refers to a textile that is traditionally made by weaving narrow strips Read More …
This beater with wooden reeds forms part of a weaving loom. It was made by Clement Gah in Kpetoe, Volta Region, Ghana and purchased from him in 2017. Gah sells these beaters to local Ewe weavers, for use in the production of narrow strip woven kente cloth. Collected as part of the Fashioning Africa project. Read More …
This book by an American author and illustrator who spent time living in East Africa contains coloured illustrations showing different ways to wear kangas, the popular East African textile which is sold as a pair of cloths and often worn as a wrap skirt and a shawl or head covering. Collected as part of the Read More …
This fila was worn by Martin Sholagbade in his role as the Father of the Bride to a wedding. A fila is a Yoruba man’s cloth cap, worn with a matching agbada (large robe), and sokoto (trousers.Aso-oke translates as ‘top cloth’ or ‘high status cloth’. It is a formal cloth that is traditionally handwoven by Read More …
Description: This aso-oke gele was made in Nigeria and worn by Fashioning Africa collecting panelist, Edith Ojo, to a friend’s wedding in 2014 with a coordinating outfit made from African lace. Aso-oke, which translates as ‘top cloth’ or ‘high status cloth’ is a formal textile, traditionally woven by men. It is primarily made from cotton Read More …
This pin badge features a portrait of Vladimir Lenin, the Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist who lead Soviet Russia from 1917-1924. It formerly belonged to Charles Makhuya. In the 1970s Charles was a guerrilla / freedom fighter with the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), the armed wing of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU). Read More …