Documenting changing fashion in Africa post-1960
This T shirt was produced for the first democratic South African presidential elections held in 1994. It was worn by a supporter of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). The party had anti-apartheid roots and was formed in what is now KwaZulu-Natal. This form of ‘protest’ or ‘struggle’ T shirt became popular in South Africa during Read More …
This T shirt is one of many designs produced to celebrate Nelson Mandela becoming the first black, democratically elected president of South Africa in 1994. It features a portrait of Mandela and the new flag of South Africa designed that year to represent the end of apartheid rule and the new democracy. This form of Read More …
This T shirt is one of many designs produced for the South African presidential elections in 1994. It was worn by a supporter of the African National Congress (ANC) party and their candidate Nelson Mandela, who became South Africa’s first black head of state. This form of ‘protest’ or ‘struggle’ T shirt became popular in Read More …
This T shirt is one of many designs produced for the South African presidential elections held in 1994. It was worn by a supporter of the African National Congress (ANC) party and their candidate Nelson Mandela, who became South Africa’s first black head of state. It features the slogan ‘Now is the Time’ in English, Read More …
This T shirt is one of many designs produced for the South African presidential elections held in 1994. It was worn by a supporter of the African National Congress (ANC) party and their candidate Nelson Mandela, who became South Africa’s first black head of state. This form of ‘protest’ or ‘struggle’ T shirt became popular Read More …
This shweshwe skirt was acquired from South African writer and shweshwe expert Juliette Leeb-du Toit. Shweshwe is a printed cotton fabric that is so ubiquitous in southern Africa that it has been called the denim of the region. The name is derived from King Moshoeshoe I of Lesotho (c. 1786 – 1870) who first popularised Read More …
This T shirt is one of a collection acquired from South African textile historian Juliette Leeb-du Toit. A family member bought it in Pretoria as a gift for her children. In the years leading up to the end of Apartheid doves were used as a symbol of the hope for peace in the country. Juliette Read More …
This midi dress is made of shweshwe, the 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 Read More …
This wax print jacket was produced as a promotional item by ABC textiles in the 1990s. Wax print, also called Dutch wax or Ankara, has a history that is tied up with colonialism. Originally inspired by Javanese batik designs from Dutch colonies in Indonesia, Dutch manufacturers began mass producing printed textiles which mimicked the look Read More …
This wax print dress was produced as a promotional item by ABC textiles in the 1990s. Wax print, also called Dutch wax or Ankara, has a history that is tied up with colonialism. Originally inspired by Javanese batik designs from Dutch colonies in Indonesia, Dutch manufacturers began mass producing printed textiles which mimicked the look Read More …