african's fabrics

Long ago, animal's hair was woven to insulate and protect homes. They started to use Hair, and fibres from different plants and trees, to create clothing, blankets, door hanging and etc.

Textiles are enhanced through painting, dyeing, and embroidery. According to Sharne Algotsson and Denys Davis in “The Spirit of African Design”, colours hold different cultural meanings based on village or family affiliations. In the various parts of Nigeria, red is a threatening colour which is worn by chief as a figure head to protect them from evil. 

Back in the days the textiles were not cut or tailored inserted it was just draped and tied to suit special occasions.

Asoke: Which is used in the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria, Aoke is sued for Funerals, Religious Rituals and other special occasions. It is generally made of rayon threads on a background of silk cotton. 

Adinkra: Adinkra means "Farewell" according to "The spirit of African design". This fabric is made by embroidering wide panels of dyed cotton and stamping them with carved calabash symbols. It is used for funerals; Today Adinkra is being produced in Ghana. 

 

Adire: This type of fabric which comes from Nigeria. There are two different types of Adire. The first one is made by tie dying or by stitching a design with raffia. The second one is painted freehand or stencilled using a starchy paste made from cassava or yams.

Khasa: This is a heavy woolen striped blanket that is woven by the Fulani of Mali. The textile is typically 6 to 8 feet long and woven in 8-inch wide strips. Although the traditional blanket is white, it is also common to have yellow, black, or red strips. 

 

Kente: This fabric is originated from the Fante people of Ghana, who sold this fabric in baskets. The pattern on the Kente fabric has various significance such as political and religion. Today, there’s a pattern to indicate the importance of almost any special occasion, and colours are chosen to reflect customs and beliefs. It is worn by Kings and Queens which made it so popular today. 

African Tie Dye: This is one of the most popular fabric around Africa. It is generally a dyeing method with patterning of large and small circles in various combinations. This type of cloth is found in Senegal, Gambia, and Nigeria.

  

Kuba: This fabric is from the Republic of Congo, This textile is tightly woven using strands from raffia palm leaves. Kuba fabric is created by vegetables dyes on a raffia threads that are embroidered onto a finished cloth. Kuba cloth is used for wall hangings, or mats for sitting and sleeping.

Why Vintage..

Wearing old clothing as new style which was developed in the late 60s and early 70s. I think people with a creative fashion sense became bored and wanted unique clothing that was not so expensively custom-made. In the 60s, clothing became much more varied, and styles from different eras were more widely accepted. People embraced this by scouring thrift shops and yard sales, and vintage clothing stores began opening in the 1970s. 

Now in the modern days, we see a lot of labels using a special type fabric to make certain types of clothing. Many collection from Jean Charles de Castelbajac, Mila Schon, Mango, to Marc Jacobs and many more.


Thankfully, clothing preference is most importantly a matter of choice, not trend, and vintage clothing is still going strong in the new century.
 
Within the last twenty years, modern styles has made vintage looks more popular than ever, better, great and amazing...Shops like Top shop, Forever21, Oasis, River Island, Zara, H&M and many more sells Vintage outfits from trousers, blouses to swimsuit.... 

Mr Oscar Blake....

Oscar Blake is a known photographer based in Dublin Ireland. He was born on the 24th of April 1985, in Sacramento Califirnia by a Nigerian mother. He owns a modeling agency called  "Nubian Modeling Agency" and  "Oscar Blake Photography". Taking pictures is a passion of his, he loves being creative and he sees the world in a brighter picture when he uses his camera.... contact Mr Blake  Oscar.Blake@rocketmail.com