Last Friday (21/10/22) we went on a trip with college up to the V&A in London to look at the Africa Fashion exhibition. In our spare time, I also explored the 'Re:imagining Musicals' exhibition all about costumes for theatre and film, as well as looking at the general fashion exhibitions.
In this blog I wanted to talk a little bit more about the Africa Fashion Exhibit.
The Africa Fashion Exhibit
As a group, we looked around the Africa Fashion exhibit, all about mid-20th century to contemporary textiles, music, photos and visual arts of different creatives.
I absolutely love how dynamic and varied the works were - there was lots of bold colours, prints, pleats and textures, all of which I found extremely inspiring and unique!
Here are a few of my highlights from the exhibition...
I really liked the use of contrasting bold prints and playful silhouettes here - the designer was able to take such contrasting colours, prints and textures and combine them to create something that just simply works and balances out from a visual perspective.
I also saw these garments and textiles created using traditional shibori dyeing and resist techniques, which I was particularly interested in, especially since this is a technique I we have explored before in lessons.
The shibori print details are super intricate and detailed which I love!
I particularly liked these two garments since they had a very much streetwear-style feel!
I love the zipper design details on the dress on the left - the silver zipper details contrast and work really well against the dark black and pleating of fabric, creating so much texture and layers.
I love the cut-outs and buckle detailing on the suit style garment on the right. The contrasting of a solid navy tone with fun, playful prints feels really unique and boundary-breaking, creating such a striking look!
Really liked the use of pleats on this dress and the detailed lace collar combined with a halterneck style! This look felt really contemporary and stylish whilst still in-cooperating such traditional, playful, geometric lines and prints.
We also saw these really exciting textile-focused garments, created with a very sustainable approach from the designers own made, "dakala cloth"
"Dakala cloth is a fabric that was developed by Nkwo Design Studio, based in Lagos, Nigeria, to reduce textile waste and preserve a traditional craft form.
The team developed it through a technique that involves stripping and sewing together sections of waste fabric." - (https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/beazley-designs-of-the-year/fashion/dakala-cloth-a-new-african-textile)
I love the fun, playful denim textures and patterns created through the process of stripping and sewing together the scrap pieces. The overall garments are really interesting and varied, making them particularly striking to look at!
Overall, I really enjoyed exploring the exhibit of African fashion as it really opened my eyes to much more traditional and cultural wear and this real sense of carrying a culture through dress style.
I absolutely loved the bold patterns and unique silhouettes/styles.
I also really liked how the exhibition explored lots of more traditional and more sustainable textile techniques to create beautifully intricate and striking garments.
I can't wait to see how I can in-cooperate some of these new ideas into my own work and designs!
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