What we wear represents our ideals and values. How we dress is a conduit to express our identity which, in turn, reflects and informs culture. Through observing a person’s form of dressing, we can not only infer their place in society but their socioeconomic and political history leading up to now. In this paper, I will look at African prints in their historical context before colonialism to understand how African communities dressed and what it meant to them. I will investigate how African patterns influence western fashion and the importance of including people of African descent in the creative process. Lastly, I will discuss how new examples of socially responsible production and design can lead the way forward and produce more compelling and expressive fashion around the globe.
Fig. 1 Bella Woman, Africa Adorned,
Angela Fisher (1984: Introduction)
Angela Fisher (1984: Introduction)
A long history of textile use as a means of cultural expression can be tracked in Africa. In Fig. 1 above the image of a Bella woman adorned in an assortment of multicolored beads illustrates the Bella people’s value of beautiful hand-crafted ornaments. The bright colors of the triangular pieces in the necklace evoke a sense of joy and the bold dark strokes add contrast and movement.
Fig. 2 Samburu Girl, Africa Adorned,
Angela Fisher (1984: page 35)
On the other hand, in figure 5, from Angela Fisher’s Africa Adorned, the author notes that “Samburu girls prefer to wear multiple strands of loose beads in contrast to their neighbors the Maasai who prefer flat collars. The beads are gifts from admirers, and it is expected that by age fifteen or sixteen the girls have collected enough beads to invite a marriage proposal. It is taken when a woman’s chin is supported by the beads, she has collected enough beads to be approached by a Samburu man.” This demonstrates how dress relates to the cultural norms of a group of people serving as a way to influence social interactions between members of a community. One of the ways these interactions occur is through social events. African societies have historically gathered around festivals and being a Kikuyu from East Africa, I can attest to this. Traditional rites of passage ceremonies such as marriage are marked with elaborate garments signifying the beginning of a new phase of life. The image below shows a couple in a traditional marriage ceremony known as Ngurario. The brown attire is symbolic of the fertile ground in which the community dwells signifying growth and prosperity.
Fig. 3 Ngurario, Antony Trivet Photography Accessed December 13, 2019
Fashion and social exchange intermingle always, but the relationship between the British Empire, East Africa, and the use of uniforms across the globe, might be among the more illuminating as it pertains. With the expansion of the British Empire into Eastern Africa in the late 1800s and early 1900s, a new way of life was imposed on the native people of the region. In addition to physical occupation, one of the ways the British imposed their colonial rule was to change how people in their colonies dressed. This affected how native people viewed themselves as they took on a new layer of identity that clashed with the traditional form of expression.
The image below of a Colonial Grandee clad in an official uniform highlights how the uniform as a garment acted as a symbol of political power that denoted socio-economic status.
Fig. 4 Troops in Nairobi, Picture Collection,
New York Public Library (1954)
According to Kelly Walters, an Assistant Professor of Communication Design at Parsons School of Design and expert in black visual culture, “people are inspired to create from what they see.” The image below demonstrates that observation by showing how an African depicts that which they see in relation to their own experience.
Fig. 5 Authority: Idi Amin in military uniform, Uniforms, Bill Dunn (2009: page 72)
The juxtaposed image above shows Former Ugandan strongman President Idi Amin pointing towards a European military officer. Both men are dressed in fully decorated military gear. It could be inferred by looking at this is the desire to emulate what you see. However, there is one notable difference between the two images - the level of decorative objects on the uniform. The embellishments on Idi Amin’s attire are excessive with multiple medals on the left breast of the jacket and several aiguillettes draped around his right shoulder, while the European officer has four red and gold badges on his collar and one on his headgear.
According to the text Uniforms by Bill Dunn, the author notes that the modern world has fallen out of love with the uniform. Beyond their authoritative function uniforms serve as a means of creating social order, making them unpopular in a world that values freedom and self-determination. Schoolchildren in many parts of the world are required to wear uniforms as part of their educational experience. In some institutions, how uniforms are worn is strictly enforced thereby emphasizing the need for social order. This strips away the students’ ability to be unique and emphasizes a conformist mindset.
Fig. 6 Pupils from Hill House School, London, in uniform, Uniforms, Bill Dunn (2009)
However, Victoria Manganiello, Professor of Fashion at Parsons School of Design revealed a contrasting point of view in our interview held on November 6, 2019—as a schoolgirl, she liked wearing uniforms. Rather than seeing this as a restriction, she saw it as an opportunity to express other aspects of her identity by accessorizing and exploring new hairstyles.
Ultimately, though, my discussion with Professor Olga Kapustina, also a Fashion Professor at Parsons, changed my perspective on what uniforms are and their function in society. “If something becomes a very huge trend, it ends up being a uniform,” she explained. “For example, if everyone is wearing a bizarre pair of sneakers with a platform and you think you're being creative by wearing the same pair, you just put yourself in a uniform. So, people end up boxing themselves in regardless.” Kapustina believes this phenomenon exists due to the human need to belong. Uniforms make us feel as if we are a part of something. “Louis Vuitton is the uniform of the rich.” Maganiello observed, connecting the concepts of uniforms and brands, to class.
African Americans seeking to express themselves in fashion today, draw on the traditions of African prints, but with a western twist. Perhaps among the most high-profile figures, the designer known as Dapper Dan, (Daniel Day), demonstrates the power and dominance of these prints in culture. Early in his career, a trip to Africa led to the purchase of African fabric that inspired a style of garments he became famous for. Dan’s vision was to use the African fabric to create American-style garments, meshing the two identities. This eventually led to logo mania, which the Harlem-based designer is credited with pioneering. Dan produced clothes festooned with high-end fashion labels resembling the patterns that are ever so prominent in African print designs.
By 2017 Dan had gained such visibility that he became the center of a high-profile controversy that eventually led to a piece in the New York Times. In that piece, reporter Matthew Schneier asked, “Did Gucci Copy ‘Dapper Dan’? Or Was It ‘Homage’?” Gucci’s jacket, Look No. 33., showcased at Gucci’s ‘new Renaissance’ cruise 2018 fashion in Milan, sparked controversy for its likeness to a design Dan produced in the late 80s. Critics complained of gross cultural appropriation. The company did not dispute the likeness to iconic Harlem Fashion Designer Dan’s original jacket, released in 1989, telling Schneier the piece was an homage. By that point, Diane Dixon, an Olympic gold and silver medalist for whom the jacket was made, had already taken to Twitter to express her views on the issue.
Fig. 7 80s and Now, Instagram screenshot 2
The backlash Gucci received online escalated to a proposed boycott of their products by people of color. Dapper Dan, though, proposed the company make amends rather than be punished. Appearing on the popular New York City radio show, The Breakfast Club on July 11, 2019, Dapper Dan argued that mistakes like Gucci’s happen when brands try to appropriate culture without including them in the conversation. Beyond his own example, the below image from English Fashion Designer Stella McCartney’s spring 2018 collection, which critics believe exploited African culture, demonstrates a similar designer disconnect with negative public reaction. If these brands want to do right, Dan suggested they build diverse teams that include all people, especially people of color moving forward. In 2017, Gucci heeded his advice and hired the designer. In addition to that, they initiated the changemakers program opening the door for other African American designers by providing access to internship and mentorship opportunities.
Fig. 8 Diversity Rules, Instagram. Screenshot 7. Accessed December 4, 2019
In the book “Gucci: The Making Of” authors Katie Grand, Peter Arnell, Rula Jebreal, Christopher Breward, and Frida Giannini recognize that fashion brands have been caught in a paradoxical short circuit since 2000. On the one hand, customers demand new and original designs, on the other, they want to rediscover the past through the mining of previous products.
“Africa is fashion’s new frontier. Having been sidelined by mainstream fashion for over half a century as little more than a source of aesthetic inspiration, the continent’s home-grown industry is now showing the world how African fashion is really done.” However, it’s not a straightforward affair. In an interview with Professor Mark Johnson, an International Affairs Professor specializing in East Africa remarked how Africa is victim to the same phenomenon as the rest of the world—a kind of cultural immersion of the West. Major brands such as Nike and Armani are prominent in Ethiopia, often usurping and replacing traditional fashion preferences. Meanwhile, as professor Roitman notes, those same preferences—elements of traditional dress—are refashioned by Africans selling to the west, as a means of reclaiming identity. The work of Gloria Wavamunno, a Ugandan Fashion Designer featured in Jennings’ book, demonstrates how this reclamation looks.
Fig. 9 Gloria Wavamunno, Jennings, Helen, New African Fashion. Munich: Prestel 2011.
Fig. 10 Style & Fashion, https://conversationsabouther.net/yemi-alade-sauti-sol-africa-music-video/ Accessed, October 07, 2022.
Sauti Sol, a popular Kenyan pop band, integrates African-inspired garb into their performance wear to such success that they were featured in the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. This is the first major UK exhibition dedicated to contemporary African fashion.
Fig. 11 Fashion Cities Africa, Brighton Exhibit, https://stylerave.com/sauti-sol-band-kenyas-fashion-style-scene/ Accessed, October 07, 2022.
The music video below was released in 2017 and features a striking color palette and men sharply dressed in multicolored suits. This is distinctly different from the dark-colored “power” suits trademark of European style. A similar approach to fashion can be seen in the track “APES**T” by The Carters published in 2018.
Fig. 12 NO TOUCH AM, Blinky Bill ft Nneka. Screenshot 3. Accessed December 12, 2019.
Fig. 12 NO TOUCH AM, Blinky Bill ft Nneka. Screenshot 4. Accessed December 12, 2019.
Fig. 14 NO TOUCH AM, Blinky Bill ft Nneka. Screenshot 5. Accessed December 12, 2019.
Fig. 15 APES**T, The Carters. Screenshot 6. Accessed December 12, 2019.
Looking across the culture, evidence of African design plays a major role in shaping fashion in the West and across the globe can’t be overlooked. Cultural exchange is important and inevitable. British/ Ghanaian designer Joe Casely-Hayford, says he is unsurprised by Africa’s continued influence on global fashion but rather, sees its intelligent application as a positive thing.
Examples of designers getting it right by creating socially responsible production and design seem to be growing. One London-based company is practicing this philosophy and is achieving success. Koy Clothing founded and run by two brothers, Alastair & Jimmy Scott is the birth child of their experience growing up in East Africa and going to school in the UK. This put the duo in a unique position to incorporate both worlds and help support the country they grew up in and love so much, Kenya. The company recognizes the communities that inspire its products by giving 5% of every purchase to projects within the communities.
Fig. 16 Navy Kamba Linen Shirt
Fig. 17 Ladies Luo Sporting Jacket
Ultimately, professor Roitman concludes that “The more African clothing is on stage and the more people are visualizing what they're making and learning about it, the more they shift the norm to their aesthetic and the more what they're doing becomes central. ”This she says shifts the appeal from being what she calls an “exotic thing”.” In other words, cultural exchange, when rooted in appreciating differences and an attitude of learning, demonstrably shifts perception and opportunity.
Editor: Paddy Johnson
Cover Image: Tony Muchai clad in the Ise African Reversible Bomber Jacket from D'iyanu.