The one on the right is "exquisite," she says. The curator says that from a purely design point of view she wants to include these two adjacent outfits in her selection for NPR. "She's sort of 'decolonizing her own mind' – and those are her words – through the deconstruction technique that she uses in her clothes," reimagining traditional styles and reinvigorating ancient materials commonly used in the pre-colonial era. "Her work is research-based," Checinska explains. Peter Kelleher/Victoria and Albert Museum On the dress on the left, multi-colored tassels attached to the front of the dress create the kind of kaleidoscope effect found on the costumes worn by individuals in a community who act out the role of departed ancestors during ceremonies. Two designs by Nigeria's Bubu Ogisi, who reimagines traditional styles and reinvigorates ancient materials. He often used traditional patterned cloth like Mali's " bògòlanfini" - dyed with fermented mud - and not only marketed his designs across the region but further afield in Europe and the United States. Seydou lived in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast before moving to Paris, where he worked for Yves Saint-Laurent in the 1970s before returning to West Africa to open his own atelier and launch his own line. Seydou's stunning orange checkered suit and wide brimmed hat combination on display are emblematic of the Malian designer's ability to marry contemporary Western tailoring with African materials. She hopes the show manages "to inspire and to encourage" visitors from all backgrounds but also to offer a glimpse of what she describes as "the genius of African creativity that all too often has been left out."īelow are a sampling of garments from the exhibition that she thinks exemplify African fashion itself and best represent the intention behind the show, which runs through mid-April 2023.Ĭhris Seydou brings flair - and mud - into haute couture Now it is part of a visually stunning exhibition at London's Victoria and Albert Museum entitled "Africa Fashion."
It would be equally at home in an urban or rural environment on a handful of continents.
Its graceful cut and clean lines struck me as youthful, elegant and yet deeply traditional. The dashiki, part of the Intsinzi Collection from Rwandan design studio Moshions, first appeared on a catwalk in Kigali five years ago. Based on a long-sleeved open-necked, centuries old tribal costume, the garment has a sash draped gently from one shoulder to the other like a Roman toga. Victoria and Albert Museum/Maganga Mwagogo/Tatenda ChidoraĪs I pass along a row of mannequins, the sharply tailored, pale blue cotton dashiki stops me in my tracks. These are 3 of the garments starring in the new "Africa Fashion" exhibit at London's Victoria and Albert Museum. Right: An outfit from Thebe Magugu out of Johannesburg, South Africa. Center: an outfit from womenswear brand IAMISIGO led by Kenya's Bubu Ogisi.
The blue dashiki (left) is from the Rwandan design studio Moshions and first appeared on a Kigali catwalk 5 years ago.
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