[12], Africa is rich due to their culture and tradition, especially when speaking of Fashion. It is one of the styles currently in vogue. Adire material can be easily spotted thanks to its color scheme, which includes various shades of indigo blue and the unique tie-dye coloring. The word 'textile' arises from the Latin word "textiles" which signifies 'woven'. Wearing the veils became a commonplace. Blouse, wrapper, and headgear are the most popular items that are made with this African fabric. Traditionally, there are men's robes; some produced as symbols of prestige or even protection in battle, women's robes; wrap around cloths worn as skirts by men and women; body wrap blankets acting as coats or ceremonial tokens; loin cloths, aprons and any manner of headdress and adornment. It is woven exclusively by men on narrow strip looms from cotton or silk. Traditional indigo-colored Aso oke often required the hand-spun thread to be dyed up to fourteen times to achieve the deep blues needed. Ebira Women have been weaving Okene Cloth for centuries. In the 19 th century, trade also introduced the continent, and West Africa in particular, to a type of clothing that is still used daily. You can also achieve style, safety, and function with the right type of window treatment. African Ankara fabric is not worn by Africans alone; Europeans, Asian and other culture have joined the fray over the years. The Federal Republic of Nigeria is a not very large, though rather populous country of West Africa. Special techniques were used to make the threads colorfast so that they would not damage the lighter colored threads or embroidery when washed. Indonesia The Hotel is situated in Lagos Nigeria and Thomas-Fahm developed a garment factory at the Yaba Industrial Estate. 8. I am a content writer with an English and literature background. It is a fabric that has a cultural identity of the Yoruba people. These styles are now a multipurpose wear in the sense that you can rock them to any occasion. Adire Cloth by Yoruba, NigeriaOriginal Source: African Heritage House. Adinkra . This is the African wax print cloth. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. In this material, we'll look at the hand-woven cloth invented by the Yoruba people - the aso oke fabric. According to Ashanti legend, kente cloth was created by two hunters who came across a giant spider spinning a magnificent web. In Africa, there are numerous types of traditional textiles produced and used by the local tribes since the beginning of time. 6. Indigo cotton fabric has its origins in East Asia. A - oke. Nigeria is not only known for its many fashion textiles and garment pieces that are secret to its culture. These types of labor-intensive activities were prerequisites to weaving and hand embroidering. Sources: Mg.co.za, DaGama.co.za, FashionDistrict.co.za, BBC.co.uk, Contemporary-Africa-Art.com, BritishMuseum.org. What To Do If Your Smartphone Falls Into Water, Simple Ways To Enhance Your Natural Beauty. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. In Sotho, the fabric also goes by the name sejeremane, which means German print. In Xhosa, it is known as ujamani fabric. This fabric, produced in Oyo and Osun state, has been traditionally made from cotton and had a very complex production process, although today Aso Oke is also made from silk, sewing threads, and even metallic yarn. It is a tie and dye fabric. The most popular of these African fabrics among West Africans is the Ankara fabric. Isi agu fabrics are either sewn into long sleeves or short sleeves shirts for Igbo men. In this technique, methods are used to resist the dye from reaching all the cloth, thereby creating a pattern. Nigeria is a nation that is very proud of its history and traditions, and fabrics take a special place in the legacy of Nigerian people. The growing popularity of this Yoruba fabric means that were not only able to often see this fabric in everyday life and at special events like weddings, but also on the most famous Nigerian celebrities. Dashiki The designs on the adire fabric are always in different shapes and patterns. Pelete . Appearance. Nigerian traditional clothing is usually made from a variety of fabrics, including cotton, silk, and brocade. It was the Europeans who figured out how to print patterns on the fabric though. 2023 The Moguldom Nation. The Gele is a traditional head wrap that is worn by women throughout Nigeria. Since the early twentieth century, metal stencils cut from the sheets of tin that lined tea chests have also been used. Tribe/Region. In Yorubaland, aso oke has been in existence for a very long time and is still in fashion today all over the country. African textiles can be used as historical documents. Aso-oke. The blankets are usually white, with dark geometrical motifs. The official language of Nigeria is English, chosen to facilitate linguistic unity at the national level. The Isi agu shirts are worn by traditionally titled Igbo men in the eastern part of Nigeria. It was then that the desire to appear fashionable.[4]. Many of the component cultures of Nigeria wear styles that are unique to their tribal society and customs. Ase Oke is worn by both men and women. List of the Types of Fabrics in the Nigerian Markets. The same is true of major events such as colonialism, the African Slave Trade, even the Cold War. Bokolonfini is the Bambara name for the strip woven cotton cloth woven by men in Mali that is commonly referred to as mud cloth. In our world today, fabrics are used to make beautiful clothes for adults and children. Edo people are considered elegant and colorful society. Nigeria is a federal republic comprising 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, where the capital, Abuja, is located. Aso-Oke is also used to make women's wrappers, known as Iro and head-tie. The Isiagu, also called Chieftaincy, is a pullover shirt similar to the dashiki that is worn by many African people groups, including the Igbo people. Senegal: Stitch resist dyeing entails stitching the cloth to prevent the dye from reaching selected areas on the cloth. They were traditionally made and worn by women throughout the Yoruba region of south-western Nigeria, West Africa. This is because the cloth is first soaked in a dye made from bark and leaves, and then the design is painted on with a thick mud containing iron acetate collected from the bottom of lakes. Depending on the region, the fabrics can be used for dresses, decorative pieces at dinner tables, as wrap over bathing suits orhung up on the wall as decorations. This weakens the fibers and creates holes. African wax print fabrics, or ankara (also known as kitenge in East Africa), are composed of pure cotton in a method of production known a batik, a wax-resist dyeing process. Traditional fabrics in Nigeria differ in their age, origin, and the way they are used, but at the same time they are united by the love of Nigerians for the classic materials. The garments is known by various names in different ethnic groups and languages that adopted it from the original babban riga of the Hausa People, called agbada in Yoruba, boubou from Wolof mbubb, mbubb in Wolof, gandora in Tuareg, darraa in Maghrebi Arabic, grand boubou in various French-speaking West African countries and the English term gown. Ironically, but not surprisingly, this distinctly-African fabric originates in Europe. Etu A dark blue aso oke. Olowu is well known for his unique and colorful African prints. African Heritage model, the late Irene Mugambi, in Nigerian Adire clothThis outfit is from the Nigerian Festival - the first show in Nairobi in 1972 with all-African models and fabrics and African Heritage jewelry. It is one of the first fabrics made in tropical areas of Sub-saharan Africa, specifically Central Africa. Ukara ekpe fabrics have four colours. Generally Kangas are 150 cm wide by 110 cm long. Stripwoven cloths are made up of narrow strips that are cut into desired lengths and sewn together. Check out our guide to the types of lace materials in Nigeria! Bark from the tropical fig tree is stripped from the tree once a year and then sustainably regrows. Cashmere is a type of wool fabric that is made from cashmere goats and pashmina goats. This fabric is mostly made by Yoruba women who pass the secret of making Adire from generation to generation. The pattern of this fabric is rather large, but it looks surprisingly delicate when used in a gown or skirt and blouse . It can also be referred to as Kitenge or Ankara fabric. But over the years, its method of production has been adjusted. Photo by David Beatty. This raffia cloth was created by the Dida people on the Ivory Coast. A design is drawn onto the fabric. 5. One of the milestones of Malian culture, mud cloth is exported throughout the world for fashion, art and decorative purposes. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Image via Africa Museum. These types of chairs can be found in many Nigerian homes, performing the . The yams can be mashed or fried in oil. Kuba clothKuba Cloths had a tremendous impact on the modern artists of the 20th century such as Picasso and Matisse, both of whom had huge collections of the cloths. The Yoruba-inclined aso oke is a prominent type of fabrics available in the Nigerian market. In this article, the different types of fabrics in Nigeria would be looked into. Ase Oke often feature complicated lace-like patterns which were incorporated into weaves when imported lace was not available from England during World War II. The traditional batik methods are still practised in West African countries today, albeit in small workshops and without . Lace. Tradition plays an important role in African fabrics. National Institute of Fashion Technology Chennai A few examples. 2. Other similar robes include the agbada and riga in Nigeria, the gandoura or leppi in Cameroon, and the dansiki in West Africa. Cord lace. The story behind these fabrics and flags started with the Fante people of Ghana, who in the 17thcentury organized into military groups called asafo. More explicitly, ankara is a cotton fabric that is much liked for its vividly coloured patterns. Lisa produces accessories such as jewelry and purses. 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