Celebrating Africa: Afro-Asian Nuances of Fashion (Published)
As African designers with vested interest in pushing the African fashion agenda on the world fashion stage, the design team undertook this project to purposively create a multi-ethnic-inspired costume for a Tanzanian member of the Diplomatic Corps. The occasion was to commemorate the celebration (the election and swearing into office) of the first ever Black woman of Asian descent, Kamala Harris as Vice President of the United States of America (USA), a historic period characterised by COVID 19 pandemic. Inspiration was from local resources including those from the celebrant’s varied background. The research design is a studio-based modelled on design-led concepts. The dress created reflects the Afro-Asian nuances of clothing traditions which speak of modesty, brightness, re-birthed and ancient costumes brewed in the African ‘pot.’
Keywords: African identity, Tanzanian costume, design-led model, ethnic dress culture practices, fashion and innovation