Kanga Textile Design, Education, and Production in contemporary Dar es Salaam (original) (raw)
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This article examines the early development of printed and manufactured cotton kanga textiles, worn popularly throughout East Africa by women as wrappers. Using archival, pictorial and object collections, I suggest that the decade from 1876 to 1886 was crucial for design. The bold colour and graphics of East African women’s cloth printing, Indonesian batik motifs, European-printed handkerchief-style borders and the inclusion of text combined by 1886 to form the now standard composition of kanga cloth.
CON(TEXTS): RE-EXAMINING THE SOCIAL LIFE OF KANGA CLOTH
The kanga, a type of East African textile, is a central part of daily life along the Swahili coast. Historically, this highly-versatile cloth has been used as a method for communicating taboo messages and constructing identity, while also serving as a record of indigenous knowledge. While innovation in mass-production have made kangas more accessible and affordable for consumers, it is changing women's roles in the production process, contexts of cultural communication, and the significance of the kanga in East African society. In this paper, we discuss the social life of the kanga through its commodification, role as an alternative archive, and disruption of patriarchal systems. First, we explore the evolving uses of kanga in identity-making, East African tourism, and the international fashion industry. In tracing the history of the kanga, it becomes necessary to discuss the (un)changing iterations of these communicative textiles as a woman-centered repository, through which women construct indigenous knowledge and feminisms. The continued practice of kanga communication provides women with a medium for social interruption and a virtual space to be heard, resist patriarchy, play with each other, and resolve conflict. For East African women seeking restitution and control over their contributions to the manufacturing industry, the kanga stands to be both the site and source of action. Secondly, we illustrate how the kanga became a space of women to voice their ‹unspeakable› messages, therefore disrupting the patriarchal societal norms of privacy and modest behavior. In doing so, kanga wearers are participating in what James Scott refers to as «everyday forms of resistance» in his book Weapons of the Weak. Lastly, using the concept of platform markets, in which a platform supply mediates between a single buyer and producer, we explore the properties of the kanga market in East Africa, focusing on issues around copyright, production and distribution, sale, and use. Manufacturers are increasingly outsourcing labor and using cheaper fabrics to produce these cloths, which made the kanga available to a wider range of customers, at the expense of local manufacturers. As a result of the platform market structure,
International Textile and Costume Congress, 2019
Woven textiles of Thailand are especially evident for their intangible cultural heritage, which contributes to the Soft Power of Thailand through various means, i.e. the national identity and branding. However, in the recent decades, a number of weaving communities have been declining as a sequence of the expansion of industrialization and globalization for trade of mass produced goods. Few young people are being trained in traditional weaving, whereas experienced weavers are over forty years of age. Indigenous knowledge of traditional weaving is likely to be lost in the near future, if there is no immediate action happened to reinforce their cultural adherence and continuity. Designers are encouraged to design for cultural revitalization. The author utilises research and educational activities to letting the young generation engaged in design for cultural revitalization. A co-creation project was implemented with the weaving communities of Long district, Phrae province because of the erosion of indigenous knowledge about woven textiles. These communities wanted to reinforce and revival their indigenous knowledge of woven textiles by developing some tools, which they could use to exchange knowledge with other people. They preferred a booklet of traditional textile patterns and a card game. It was agreed to explore a vintage collection of a type of traditional skirts, known locally as 'sin tin chok', which are exhibited in the 'Komol Phaboraan Museum'. This design process lasted eight months, involving fieldwork and data collection, booklet design and design of a card game. The research group included the principal researcher, a specialist in game design and five undergraduate students. This design process embraced people within the district (i.e. textile masters, experienced weavers, villagers) and outside the district/province (i.e. undergraduate students, school children, teachers, potential users and tourists). Co-creation through design process can enable knowledge exchange between engaging actors that does not limit to indigenous knowledge about woven textiles. Their knowledge exchange may expand to other knowledge domains, such as local history and languages, and digital technology.
Re-Inventing Traditional Textiles For The Contemporary Design Culture
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Traditional textiles have played a crucial role in creating awareness as cultural heritage and building a cultural identity and sustainability in contemporary design culture in Turkey. However, traditional textile weaving is threatened with extinction due to the need for specialist skills involved in hand weaving, the rapid growth of industrial production is facing with the treat of extinction. This study aims to focus on the regional development of traditional textiles, which is a potential source of support for local economies, thus contributing to increase the value of the material, and emphasizing cultural identity. In this respect, local silk textile production in Ödemiş, Birgi villages in İzmir, and the use of silk fabrics as ethnical sources for design inspiration will be analyzed as a representative of the collective memory of Turkish design culture. Correspondingly, two well-known Turkish designers, Zühal Yorgancıoğlu and Esin Yılmaz, works will be analyzed through interpretation of their design works. This analysis will be based on the concepts of local and cultural identity, authenticity, sustainability, collective memory and intergenerational equity in terms of interaction of traditional textiles with contemporary design culture. Hazel Clark gives the example of Brazilian case which the worldwide designers such as Rosa Cha, Carlos Miele and Campana Brothers, have become notable through their "Latin" style. This style involves local culture in the form of women's collections from favalas, in the production process. Through this system, the design industry has made an important traditional textiles, cultural identity, collective memory, material culture, intergenerational equity
A study of Vakwangali traditional clothing for fashion creation in Namibia
University of Namibia, 2020
The need to explore the Vakwangali traditional clothing as an inspiration for designing fashion clothing arose from acquired knowledge and understanding that intersections exist between traditional clothing and fashion design. It also began from observations that while such intersections seem to have resulted in the development of fashion clothing from traditional clothing among, for example, Ovaherero and Aawambo of Namibia, it is puzzling as to why the same have not occurred among Vakwangali of Kavango West region. Traditional clothing of Vakwangali has a rich history that is embedded with value and meaning. However, this rich cultural heritage is not reflected in their everyday wear. The main objective of this study was to explore various Vakwangali traditional clothing and styles over time; in order to explain the lack of transformation of Vakwangali cultural clothing from traditional clothing styles to fashion clothing. In addition this study aimed to suggest initiatives to transform Vakwangali traditional clothing into fashion through an exhibition fashion collection. Data was collected through interviews with key informants to gain in-depth knowledge regarding Vakwangali traditional clothing and its influence through a narrative style. Additional archival documents, regarding early establishment of mission work and schools, showed the influence of Christianity and colonial rule on Vakwangali traditional clothing including its transformation. Artefacts were also observed at the Maria Mwengere Museum in Rundu and Owela Museum in Windhoek to record details on craftsmanship of Vakwangali traditional clothing needed for fashion design. In addition, the online BAB Photography archive was studied to gain visual references to guide the designing process of the Vakwangali Fashion Collection. The study found that besides the various Vakwangali clothing, which included leather aprons for men and women, different hairstyles and ornaments were used to adorn the body. The study also found that there existed different styles between gender and social status. Generally, factors such as trade, Christianity and changing of livelihood contributed to the lack of transformation of Vakwangali traditional clothing into fashion. Further, the study revealed that Vakwangali are longing to restore the value and meaning that was embedded into the traditional clothing and are open to initiatives of reviving Vakwangali traditional clothing. This study created possible ideas for transforming Vakwangali traditional clothing into fashion from which Vakwangali fashion collection was created. The study recommended that different projects should adopt the suggested styles for different occasions.
Luang Prabang native textile is regarded as the city's principal cultural merchandise. In the past, aesthetic and refined weaving was intended as gifts to present to kings and aristocractes only. However, after Luang Prabang was declared a world heritage site, the city became a popular tourist attraction, and this raised the value of its cultural goods. Textile became an item precious to travellers, the most famous being the royal fabric or (Pa-Tor-Raj) of Luang Prabang's Royal Residence. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate patterns, identity and creative processes of the native textile industry of Luang Prabang, a World Heritage city of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The study uses the in-depth interview method to elicit information from well-known professional weavers and royal fabric weavers who have been producing textile since before the regime change. The results of the study revealed that the patterns of native textile could be classified into two main categories. The first was textile used in daily life, such as sarong, Pa-Biang (shawl used by women that wraps over one shoulder around the chest and back) and shawl (used by women to cover their shoulders), while the second category was textile used in religious ceremonies, such as tung (fabric hanging down a long piece of wood) and curtain material. The prominent motif used in weaving is a pattern inspired from ritual and traditional belief representing the great naga or serpent. Manufacturing procedure was developed from the surroundings and religious faith; these may be divided into three categories: 1) patterns derived from animals, such as the naga, mermaids, birds, lions and the Morm, mythological creature 2) patterns derived from flora, such as trees, vines, flowers and fruit 3) patterns based on people and folklore, such as virtue codes of morality and tradition.
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This design experiments convert indigenous West African textile design elements from a limited application in clothing into a breadth of interior design pieces that are expected to have a wider appeal. Textile designing is an integral part of textile production in West Africa and by far the most predominant art practice in the region. Textile production techniques vary from one place to another in the region and some of the common techniques are tie-dyeing, tritik, batik, indigo dying, embroidery, patchwork, applique, discharge dyeing, direct printing and resist printing. Designs are developed from sources such as body paintings and tattooing, indigenous symbols, proverbs, occasions and major events, important personalities, natural and artificial objects. Other textile design forms have also evolved from textures produced by the actual processes of fabric construction and the effects of colour variations of yarns such as stripes, bars and checks. However, fabrics are designed mainl...
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