Famed fashion designer, Marc Jacobs once said, “clothing is a form of self-expression - there are hints about who you are in what you wear” (goodreads.com). This quote is an important example of how what you wear is a very significant type of self-expression and also relevant to the gist of what textile traditions in Africa represent. The textiles included different African civilizations usually have unique and profound stories attached to them. Intertwined with beautiful colors, symbols and intricate techniques used to apply these elements, lies “important events, people or political struggles that in other parts of the world might be recorded in writing, or marked by a plaque or monument” (royalafricansociety.org).
Moreover, in African culture,
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For example, in Nigeria, it is here you’d find textiles such as Aso-Oke (ah-SHAW-okay), a woven strip cloth that is the “traditional wear of the Yoruba’s (the tribe of the southwest people in Nigeria, Africa). Aso-Oke is a cloth that is worn on special occasions by the Yoruba's usually for chieftaincy, festivals, engagement, naming ceremony and other important events” (digest.bellafricana.com).
Along with Aso-Oke, there is also the indigo dyed cloth called Adire, which is made by Yoruba women. According to the book titled, African Textiles by Christopher Spring, he states, “although many cloths are woven from uncolored natural fibers, the practice of dyeing both the yarn and the completed textile is widespread throughout Africa” (1989:5). Spring continues by adding, “the term Adire is a name given by the Yoruba to the cloths in which they produce by using the technique of resist dyeing, which is widely popular in South Western Nigeria”
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Toerien, it is stated that mud cloth native to Bamana people of Mali is frequently “referred to as Bògòlanfini or bokolanfini. The word “bogolan” means something made by using mud, while “fini” means cloth (as quoted in Toerien, 1997). Usually, women performed the painting process of mud cloth. According to Toerien, “young women were taught by their mothers during a long-term apprenticeship. As with most West-African textile production, all the different activities in the making of mud cloth (spinning, weaving and decoration) have always been clearly gender defined”
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. No. 3 (1965): 524-540. http://www.jstor.org/stable/612097 (accessed December 1, 2013).
Mazrui, Ali A. "The Re-Invention of Africa: Edward Said, V. Y. Mudimbe, and Beyond." Research in African Literatures 36, no. 3 (Autumn 2005): 68-82.
Africanisms in America are a highly surveyed topic for the black community. Joseph E. Holloway describes Africanisms as “those elements of culture found in the New World that are traceable to an African origin” (Holloway 2). I believe, that africanisms are the traditions and cultural behaviors of African Americans that resemble the some of the same traditions and cultures in Africa. Which makes you ponder about what current elements does our culture use that ties back to Africa. Which in fact there are several africanisms that still exist. African Americans have retained an essence of Africa in their speech, hair care, clothing, preparation of foods, and music by over centuries of separation from the Dark Continent.
In sub-Saharan Africa, thousands of languages, cultures, and geographical regions helped influence our African society. The ways in which we produce our artwork, spiritual ideals, and ritual performances are organic and raw. From the tropical regions of Congo and Ghana, to the arid regions of Mali; I pass through the global gateway into a domain where the Western world lost its roots and artistic imagination and grandeur. Africa appeals most to me for its ability to create a realm where the living, dead, and artistic ideals come into a single unit of tranquil philosophy.
The preceding essay is just a synopsis of how it functioned for African’s in certain regions
Toyin, Falola. “The Power of African Cultures.” Woodbridge, Suffolk, United Kingdom: University of Rochester Press, 2003. Print
Angeles, Los. (2009). African arts. Volume 28. Published by African Studies Center, University of California.
Achebe opens his lecture, "An Image of Africa," with the story of a student who sent him a letter saying how he was "particularly happy to learn about the customs and superstitions of an African tribe," not realizing that "the life of his own tribesmen in Yonkers, New York, is full of odd customs and superstitions" as well (1784). Western thou...
Weaving is a common thread among cultures around the world. Weaving is a way of producing cloth or textile. Today we have machines that weave large-scale textiles at cheap prices. Production of cloth by hand is rarely engaged in today’s Westernized societies. Not many people are thinking about how the fibers are actually constructed to make their clothes. However, in other cultures across the world the tradition of weaving still exists. By comparing three cultures that continue weaving as a part of their tradition we can see similarities and the differences between them. The reasons that each culture still weaves vary, as do the methods and materials. The desired characteristics of the cloth also vary around the world as each culture values different aesthetics.
It is essential in representing the strong african heritage and it 's importance can be seen in many aspects of culture (Gaines 1).
Bohannan, Paul, and Philip Curtin. Africa & Africans . Long Grove: Waveland Press, Inc. , 1995.
Ever since their invention many centuries ago, clothes have been used as a way of communicating. The message communicated relies on a number of factors including the social background of both the communicator and the receiver, and the context in which the message is communicated. Although at times the exact message or symbolism one is trying to portray may not be clear, it is evident that clothing has long been embraced as one of the best ways to project one’s desired personal image to those around them.
middle of paper ... ... ’s depictions of both traditional and modern beliefs in varying degrees illustrate the importance of both in contemporary Nigerian culture, as well as the greater Africa as a whole, and how both are intertwined and cannot exist without the other. In effect, she skillfully subverts stereotypes or single perceptions of Africa as backward and traditional, proving instead, the multifaceted culture of Africa. She further illustrates that neither traditional African nor western culture is necessarily detrimental. It is the stark contrast of the fundamental cultures that inevitably leads to clashes and disagreements.
South Africa has deep historical roots which influences our fashion. Fashion is how we express ourselves and is a symbol of our heritage. The South African fashion world is influenced by our history and I think in today’s world that overpowers the old European and American fashion ideas. South Africa has received major support from governing bodies in terms of growing its own fashion and textile industries (Isaacs, 2016).
From a historic point of view, Western travelers had remarked on the slow pace of lifestyle and fashion change in Turkey and Persia. On the other hand, many people were of the opinion that the western culture is getting out of hand in terms of dressing fashion (Cumming 234). In most cases, change of fashion and dressing style took place hand in hand with economic and social changes. In the developing world, changes in fashion began with the coming of the whites in Middle East. Changes began in the 11th century when the Turks came to central Asia and Far East. In Europe, continuous change in clothing fashion is believed to have started in middle 14th century. It started by a sudden introduction of shortening and tightening of male garments, it further brought the introduction of trousers and leggings that were worn by men (Cumming 235). After the advent of change in men fashion, it was followed by changes in female c...