Documenting changing fashion in Africa post-1960
This outfit, which also includes a matching belt and headwrap, belonged to Saundra Lang, an African American woman who has regularly visited West Africa since the 1970s. The blouse features hand-stitched smocking around the neckline which gives it a sculptural, three dimensional shape. Saundra recalls: “I love this outfit. I was walking in the Plateau(downtown Read More …
This two piece outfit is made from white cotton with a hand-dyed indigo tie-dyed design. It was made by designer Ainé Pathé Ouédraogo for his label Pathé’O. Born in Burkina Faso, Ouédraogo went on to set up his popular label in Abidjan in the 1970s. He subsequently became prominent in the 1990s when he began Read More …
This suit belonged to African American fashion enthusiast Saundra Lang, who purchased it from an Ivorian friend living in Los Angeles. This demonstrates the enduring popularity of wax print fabric (also called Dutch wax or ankara) across the African diaspora. As Saundra explains: ‘[My friend] commissioned a tailor in Abidjan to make several items of Read More …