I don’t know much about fashion but this conversation reminds me of the whole chat about African epistemology and rediscovering indigenous knowledge systems in academia. It really is such a shame that imperialism and colonialism has taken so much, but I do think that in light of such conversations, it is also our responsibility to curate archives and catalogues to preserve our rich culture and heritage.
Ok, first, thank you for the new words. Literally perfectly surmises what I wanted to address. Any you’re right, it’s really up to us to make sure we’re building or reconstructing these systems
Omg yes yes yees! I'm researching natural textiles from Africa and it's so frustrating to have holland produced fabrics show up in my search!! Love how thorough and honest you are! I'm very interested in finding out about plants that grow in Africa, that can have been or can be used for natural textiles.
This video is so important. I enjoy watching content about historical western fashion but I really wish we had in depth records about our own relationship with clothes and manufacturing.
Right? I don’t know if you’ve seen the recent scandal around Cathy Hay and the peacock dress but debate aside, it showed how it takes some Western bank of knowledge to even discuss or learn about indigenous craftsmanship
Thank you so much for this. Being an African child that speaks English better than my native tongue, this soothed a part of me that feels I'm not African enough. Or being African the right way. I enjoy hearing you and the amount of research that goes to this is monumental. I'm learning, and appreciate that it doesn't feel forced. I will also do further reading on this but I appreciate the spark that you lit. This is beautiful man. ❤️😍
I really love listening to you talk about fashion. It's rekindled my interest in fashion. Your point on the doomsday messaging around climate change resonates with me. I want to care more about climate change, but it's hard to learn from others when the message is all gloom and doom. I have to take responsibility for my learning, create time and learn about the effects of climate change. At some point last year, I was interested in documenting (archiving on IG) Nigerian fashion before the 20th century. The scope was the 1950s - 1990s, documenting each decade in the scope. My goal was to mainly note changes over the years (I don't know much about fashion history). The most challenging part of the project for me was finding sources online so, I gave up lol This video has inspired me to pick up the project again. I guess I need to speak to other archivists (e.g. a group of young Nigerians archiving newspapers from as far back as possible) and see if I can make some progress.
Omg, I hope you do pick that up again because it sounds amazing. I've always admired what I've seen of vintage/historical Nigerian fashion because there seems to be a very independent culture with staying power in spite of Westernisation/globalisation. Of course, I'm not super familiar but a page like that would be amazing. Hopefully the archivists are a great help.
The bumrolls/bum pads of the 18th century Western fashion are very, very... clear comparisons to sexualised African bodies like Sara Baartman in the next century. The Split Bum Pad especially, when you see it worn under petticoats and skirts, it's just so uncomfortably clear..... I really do love the waist and hip curve that comes with the various bumpads, but the buttocks shape is so problematic. For academic purposes I've made a bum roll, but... with my body shape, fat deposits sit in a way that give me a shelf butt as I gain more weight, so while it's been HORRIBLE getting bigger, especially when you make your own clothes, the shape of it has given me so much more to work with, with these historical silhouettes.
I always feel so inspired from listening to you. Well Done!!! I've recently been pulled to see how we can preserve. I've struggled to get this information, Tinyiko is correct that information is sitting in the villages with our grandmothers we need to spend time with them. Thanks for the links also as I continue with my research.
The future of African fashion is resting in us relearning about ourselves. Also refusing fast fashion factories in our countries (too late). Educating our people as well. You've put it so well, decolonisation.
12:07 ahh it’s soo great to see Ndebele garments, why am I teary 🥹🤧 I’ve recently picked up bead work after last doing it in primary. I needed a cheap but considerate gift plus there was material at home 😅. I was glad that it was like riding a bike, the craft hadn’t left me but more so it was soo therapeutic. I felt soo connected to my maternal side because of how my mom taught me, who was taught by her mom and who was also taught by hers. I almost kept the gift 😂
I really agree with what you said about it being very hard to find a clear and obvious fashion history like you do western culture. I recently realized I only knew of western fashion history and how limiting that was. Thank you for creating such a wonderful resource and I'll be watching all your videos very soon. :)
As per usual, learnt a lot! You occupy such a necessary space on YT. I think a lot of us grew up more far removed from our cultures and traditions than we realise in the name of assimilating to western modernity and keeping up "with the times". As a result, we know basically nothing of traditional textile manufacturing and traditional methods of production which is tragic because the generation of people who I'd/we'd look to for answers now are dead. Sad stuff.
this is brilliant and so helpful as I'm looking at this same angle but with regards to indigenous homeware (wooden stools, headrests, baskets etc) and now I see that cloth for fashion and decorative/functional interior tapestries have the same link and you've helped me unearth a new layer to my research... kudos for reshaping the game and thank you!
I feel like I am looking forward to a new wave of traditional attire with a new age feel to it. Just cause I feel like it speaks to being born in the new age world and trying to trace your roots back. So like I’m excited to incorporate more traditional Zulu and Xhosa fashion into how I dress. So I like this concept of looking at our past to see how we can change fashion today to make it more ethical. So like slowly returning to how precolonial Africans used to dress but still keeping the new fashions that we like is something I’m trying to explore lol.
Hi! Bernadette Banner did a vid called 'Afro-victorian Bringing Historical African women's dress into the modern day.' It's not exactly what you're looking for but it might have some useful links.
I remember getting into a big argument with what was once one of my favourite teachers in high school because she tries to assure me and the rest of the class what colonisation was necessary for “society as a whole’s technological advancement” and sure Europeans had real shitty living conditions forcing them to make being alive bearable but to say African people had no chance of making their own innovations had they not been terrorised and enslaved really pissed me off. And these are all were all managed to be documented like Darwin’s eugenics theories really should’ve stayed in his drafts 😴😠
