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African textile design and fabric arts as a source for contemporary fashion
trends

Article · July 2013

DOI: 10.2991/icssr-13.2013.50

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 2nd International Conference on Science and Social Research (ICSSR 2013)

African textile design and fabric arts as a source for contemporary

fashion trends
Dereje Debeli 1, a, Liu Jie Yuan 1, b, Zhou Jiu1, c*
1
Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology, Ministry of
Education, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, China.
a
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Key words: African textiles, design, fabric, arts

Abstract. Textile design and arts in Africa traced back to thousand of centuries when some ethnic
groups were started producing clothes for multi-purpose uses. Their design creations and arts were
known to be having geometric patterns graced with wonderful choice of colors which were
primarily bright in that sense. This paper introduces African textile designs and dressing styles. The
concept of designing African textiles and its method to integrate on contemporary fashion trends are
intended to be discussed. Color choices, selection of patterns and combination of aesthetics values
are also included after taking some examples that illustrated African textiles. The kind of motif
selection, balancing shapes and color sonority imbedded on these fabrics have a lot of thing to do
with their wearing culture and dressing styles. The import of motifs on fabric has its own techniques.
Textile design and fabrics produced based on these techniques are finally planned to convey known
values from generation to generation.

Introduction
African textile designs and arts are representative symbols of African society. Some people and
societies in Africa have developed symbols from proverbs, sayings, and king’s quotation in a form
of arts. Similarly, other ethnic groups also use the cultural landscapes, natural objects, or their
innovative works in a form of arts for their contemporary designs. It is these symbols that have been
collected from various ethnic groups and then presented artistically through patterns for fabric
decoration and design. Later these design elements transformed and embedded on fabrics. The
aesthetics value of these African textile designs have well defined in a form of design elements such
as lines, curves, symbols or motifs.
Basically, African textiles design originated from the cultural backgrounds of 55 African
countries and more than 800 linguistic groups. The continent has diverse physical environments
ranges from mountains to arid deserts, Great Rift Valley and rain forests. These entire physical
environments will determine what African people can design and dress beside the influence of
missionaries and explorers. These cultural and environmental differences did not bring a difference,
rather contributed for the foundation of flame buoyant styles, beautiful cultural dressing, wonderful
fine arts and traditional crafts of present day African textiles [1, 2].
The arts and aesthetics of African textile has been appreciated by a lot of scholars and used as
inspiration for their works. Upon getting motivation from African arts, Picasso had step up his
works and modernizing western arts through African touched inspiration. According to Picasso,
most present day western arts were sourced from African origin and he had started a revolution on
western arts. Matisse also had discovered that African textile arts were embedded uncovered
abstract on its geometric appearance that thought to bring aesthetics value. Raffia design style of
Congo people has the main input for his studio decoration and carpet design ever appreciated in his
design collection. Designers such as Modigliani and Giacometti were also fascinated by African
design style, decoration and selection principles that have helped them for collection and
developing an extraordinary textile design and fashion appreciated in their ages [11, 12]. These
designers and artist enthusiastically impressed by the aesthetic value of African arts, motifs and
patterns for getting idea. The symbolic representation and its techniques are very fascinating for the

© 2013. The authors - Published by Atlantis Press 229

scholars. Later, the extraordinary legacy of these arts with its explosive color and complex graphic
patterns has been used as source of inspiration or direct input of their design.
This paper forwards the fabric design principles based on African dressing styles. The design
concept is borrowed from African designs. For this case, given patterns were selected as it to
represent African textile pattern. So, from this study, concept of design, color combining styles and
system to produce on jacquard weave can be introduced. These steps and design principles can be
also used as an input for other researchers. It doesn’t matter whether we use the design for weaving
or printing purpose. Patterns produced following African design principle stands to represent
natural or artificial objects in a form of complete design.

Design concept
There are various ways to design patterns from different ethnic symbols mentioned earlier. To
develop design based on African style under given condition seams easy, but this is not always true.
Collecting information such as, type of motifs, power full patterns and coloring styles along its
basic usage are things to be considered. The color selection and its combination on pattern is a bit
hard [6]. Which can be obtained either through contrastive colors (hot and cool of equal strength) or
by maintain the equality of dynamics in phrasing of lightness and darkness in colors. Thus, this
selection must be in line with chosen type of usage, like as ceremonial clothes, daily based dresses
or other purposes in order to bring ever lasting impression.
To produce a unique weaving style based on African design, first individual fabrics of similar
design and colors are woven in strips. Then the individual strips bound together to create the
required continues woven fabrics. These methods of weaving deliberately done to produce uneven
kind of individual weave; very flexible to create required color mix and intricate design. Lastly,
sewers bring multitude of weave strips to a single unified design by sewing together.

Designing principles
Design is an art of putting thing around us artistically on paper and it’s then transformed to fabric.
This art sometimes conveys individual creativity on different circumstances. It requires the ability
to arrange relate object such as lines, angles, spaces, shapes, colors, texture and other hidden values
that come together to exemplify the designers abstract. The balancing principles, the movement of
lines, style of determining repeating pattern, emphases and contrast hues together with unity are
what make designers who they are. It is from this point Wilson said; having the idea how to design
and use properly design tools for representing our own idea on paper is not enough in the design
work [7, 8] but also requires understanding of African culture.
Designers understand that every elements of a single pattern has special meanings for its unity.
Thus arranging and organizing these elements of pattern makes more meaningful for their work.
This works can be categorized as balance, rhythm, proportion, emphases and unity. Balance is the
act of putting two segments right and left to each other and maintains their equilibrium position
from each other. Keeping the relative size of designed object as compared with the whole system in
a given standard system goes to proportion. Rhythm is a regular arrangement of motives in a given
pattern. This starts from the correct putting of lines symmetrically to each other on the other side of
the design. Similarly, an emphasis is the point of focus in the drawn paper. This is sometimes
called point of attention because this is the point that attracts the viewer. If the object arranged
sequentially and orderly manner it will control the views attention and used as feedback for
designer. Otherwise it tells us something wrong in the system. Similarly, unity is used as a check
point for designers. It tells designer’s whole composition, summery of all combining points as a
whole and harmony of works in a design. [3, 4]

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Motifs and its representation on fabric
The concept of creating motifs and its account on African textile cloth is not only to please eyes
and the viewers. But it is also used as medium of communication in a society that conveys spiritual
values and beliefs from their ancestors. Bridget on his African textile study show that Africa clothes
and their imported motifs define charity, culture, appropriate social relationship and their behaviors
in a society [9, 10]. Due to this deep rooted perception of cloth values in African society, design
denotation has involved a lot of actors in the field and has handed over through descendants.

Valuing colors and its combination for aesthetics

Color and aesthetics are the primary task of designer to understand and justify its sensitivity in
African society. Most patterns on use generally characterized by high resonance use of colors. This
can be achieved through use of bold colors. There are two ways to preserve these loud colors (full
sonority of colors) in African textile pattern. Firstly through using contrastive colors, hot and cool,
of equal strength. Secondly by maintaining the proportionality values between lighting and dark in a
given dynamics; that is rephrasing of light and dark colors until we achieve the desired mix.
Colors on fabric and cloth in the African context possess important meaning. The meaning varies
from one other as we go along different ethnic clothes. Yellow represent fertility (exemplified by
eggs or yoke), green stands for renewal and growth that has seen in plants by representing birth and
death. The sky is blue, hence blue indicate presence of God. It refers the spirit that one keeps them
in harmony. Red denotes political, power and strength while black stands for seriousness and unity.
It is from this point that Bright illustrated colors on his study of “An appraisal of the aesthetics
dimensions to the African philosophy of cloth” across some ethnic groups.
Generally, colors have important meanings in societies, because they might associate with
history or has their own short coming. For instance, sometimes blue and grey colors are associated
with cold while red and orange are linked with warm weather. Hence, colors communicate with
people about the time of the day, temperature and weather of the year. Thus, estimating color and its
trends are very important in the fashion industry because color play a great role with changing
seasons.

Materials
Natural fibers such as cotton, silk, wool, raffia, rayon and bark of certain tries are mainly used
for African fabrics. Weaving bast fibers like as jute or flax are also used for traditional fabric
production. Traditionally, these fibers are prepared by hand spun method. Synthetic fibers are also
introduced to increase the volume of current production.

Methods to produce on Jacquard machine

Producing the African kaleidoscope of dazzling patterns on jacquard machine gives an elegant
look. These fabrics produced on contemporary weaving machines are very inspiring to watch,
coupled with accuracy graced from jacquard machine. Manufacturing African fabrics such as
festive headgear, bright scarves, colorful wraps, wearable art and elegant gowns of any type can be
produce in more accurate ways. Manufacturing these extra-ordinary African designs to
contemporary multilayered fabric would enhance its aesthetics and provides with flexible end uses.
The following cases of selected African traditional patterns have planned to exemplify the above
discussion. These selected patterns are more or less elaborate kind of African design element
selection, coloring technique, aesthetics and other designing principles from the following figures.

231
 Fig. 1 African traditional patterns A) fabric designing styles and its final uses B) kaleidoscope of
African style through bright colors

Fig. 2 C) leaf based motifs for contemporary fashion design uses D) wood patterns as source for
textile design and color combinations

Uses of African pattern through fabric

Textiles in Africa have been used as a means of communication beside its formal uses. It conveys
information within a particular community by referring mutual association of spirituality, historical and
cultural integrity. These have been experienced for thousands of years since they were using as
communication tools. The symbols and figurative compositions represent historical proverbs or events in the
past. A form of storytelling, through fabric artistically preaches importance of an individual, family or in

232
 large social unit [5]. Commonly, due to the above secret embedded in African textiles, societies have been
using for political, social and special occasions.

Conclusion
African textile and arts are means of expression that Africans use to define themselves through
wearable design crafts. These textiles and arts are known throughout the world with its structure
composition, color collections and with their bold size of elements across a given design are main
characteristics. Every single elements of a given African pattern has special meaning and
deliberately given to represent some values in a society. Those values will be embedded in a form
of curves, lines or complete symbols to convey spiritual messages, hope, or other hidden values.
It is a challenge for designers to design collections embracing cultural values with limited
cultural background knowledge and experiences. To avoid this problem and also to incorporate and
produce outstanding patterns containing those values, designers advance their knowledge by travel
to various areas of the continent to learn about different society’s designs and dressing culture that
has to be built in fabrics. So that many people can recognize the product as it’s originated from their
areas. Colors and aesthetics are one of the favorite African textiles. Colors are highly pronounced to
bring loud tone by valuing two or more than two equally considered bold hues. Taking two extreme
(opposite) colors like as dark and light or hot and calm of equal strength, by keeping quality of hue
across a pattern are always a plan that brings viewers to focus. Generally, it is much important to
consider the significance of African cultural expression on pattern besides localizing patterns on
fabrics and garments as sign of originality to enhance cultural meaning.

Acknowledgments
This research was funded in part through a grant of the National Social Science Fund Art Project
(12BG064) and Zhejiang key innovation team on science and technology project（2011R50004）.

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