Ihop
Africa for Textiles and Wearable Art
by
Muguette Goufrani
Quick
now! How well does Africa Travel Magazine's web
site score in the exciting, ever-changing world of
fashion? The answers are astounding! In a recent
search using the words Africa Fashion, our web site
ranked#1 out of 2,800,000 entries on Yahoo, and was
#1 on Google from 1,650,000 entries. Since Africa
Travel Magazine's debut in 1995, African fashion
has been a feature item on the editorial menu. It
started at an event in Benin, West Africa, with our
editor's keen observation and rapt attention to the
wide range of colorful wear of our African and
African American delegates were wearing.
The
wind- up gala evenings, held twice each year, were
a kaleidoscope of color. What a splash! In this
issue , we feature something very dear to my heart,
so let's start at the top ... "le Chapeau
Africain." Since hats, bonnets, turbans, wraps and
unique coiffure are such a key part of Africa's
fashion scene, I am pleased to present my first
articles on this delightful, universal topic
featuring the designs of Alphadi, Esterella,
Chrystalix, Abdela , Oumou Sy, Gigi and others we
have profiled on our ATA web site. An expanded
version will follow in Africa Travel Magazine's
30th Jubilee editions, lighting the spark for a
Jubilee Fashion Spectacular at Travel Shows in
Africa, the USA and Canada. Visit the Africa Travel
Magazine web site for updates to our editorial
calendar, and news from the ATA chapter level to
international travel expos attended by thousands of
tourism professionals, vacationers and travelers,
who need to meet and get to know Africans in
Tourism.
Wearable
art, unique headwear and clothing styles that
reflect every corner of this vast continent of
Africa, are available in thousands of markets,
souks and boutiques across the country, including
the giant "Merkato"
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Contemporary fashions are
showcased at events, such as ATA Fashion Parades
which takes place at most
Congresses
Togo,
West Africa, is truly a shoppers' paradise. Lome's
central market, where we bargained for many of my
favorite keepsakes and wardrobe items, rates as one
of the five best shopping sites in Africa. At
Maison Royale, my friends and I were dazzled by an
elegant gold Mercedes- Benz, parked at the
entrance, gleaming in the mid-day sun. A symbol of
wealth and success in North America, these upscale
autos are commonplace in Lome, many being owned by
"Nana Benz" - women traders, so named because they
all appear to be Mercedes Benz
owners.
Most taxicabs are owned by this enterprising group.
World's
Largest Fetish Market: While in Togo, we spent a
full day at Akodessewas, the world's largest fetish
market, with its array of sorcerers' potions;
roots, bark, monkey skulls, wart hog teeth,
porcupine skins, leopard hides, antelope horns,
bones of crocodiles, horses, pigs and monkeys, plus
various parts of human anatomy. Such concoctions
are used to cure everything from diarrhea and the
flu, to cuts, impotence and rheumatism. I tried on
a gris gris (necklace), which is said to work its
magic when blessed by a fetish priest. Part doctor,
part psychic, the priest relies on herbal
medicines, charms and a healthy dose of positive
thinking. They believe that the spirits are
everywhere -- in the air, the trees, the water -
even buildings. A priest calls on his favorite god
to predict future events, and keep evil forces at
bay. He sits on a stool in his colorful robe,
holding a regal staff, receiving gifts of gin,
which he sips as a troupe performs ritual chanting
and dancing. A sacrificial offering is made as a
show of loyalty and respect to the spirits, and to
gain special favors, such as the birth of twins.
Continued
What is Kente Cloth?
Basically,
it's an Asante ceremonial cloth that is hand-woven
on a horizontal treadle loom. The looms we saw at
the village near Kumasi were out in the open air,
although in a grassy, shaded area. Cloth strips,
approximately 4 inches wide are sewn together into
larger bolts. Of many colors, sizes and designs,
Kente cloth items, long scarfs in particular, are
worn throughout Ghana and its neighboring
countries, during most social and religious
occasions. The name comes from the word 'kenten',
which means basket. We saw virtually every possible
color and pattern of kente cloth during the
day-long Durbar ceremony at Koforidua village near
Accra. According to Ghanaians, kente depicts the
area's history and philosophy, its ethics, oral
literature, moral values, social and religious
concepts
Africa
Fashion
... for traveling, attending gala events, meetings,
or looking good for any occasion, has been a number
one topic in Africa Travel Magazine and its
powerful website. We use Webtrends to
monitor our site, plus the power of Google and
Yahoo to see how we stack up against other media.
You will be surprised. Below is a link to my first
article on the subject of hats. I have a passion
for hats, as you will learn
|