What is the traditional clothing in Ghana?
What is the traditional clothing in Ghana?
The traditional garments of Ghana are the kente cloth and the Ghanaian smock. The smock is made from the fabric called “Gonja cloth”. The kente cloth is originated from Southern Ghana, while the Gonja cloth – from Northern Ghana. Gonja cloth – thick striped cotton fabric.
What is the story behind Kente cloth?
Kente cloth comes from a textile practice that originated in Ghana centuries ago. The fabric has come to symbolize cultural affiliations from West Africa across the diaspora, but legend has it that a spider spinning a complex web inspired the earliest kente techniques and designs.
Why is Kente cloth very special?
Kente cloth has been known for its dramatic colors and intricate patterns ever since. An Asante weaver might know hundreds of patterns by heart, each having its own name. Warp patterns, which are stripes of color, have names taken from proverbs, important chiefs or queen mothers, or historical events.
Who created Kente cloth?
The origins of the Kente cloth go back 400 years to West Africa, in what is now modern day Ghana. While its invention is often attributed to the people of the Ashanti Tribe, the Kente cloth may have instead been invented by the people in the Ewe Tribe, who later shared the tradition with the Ashanti.
What is unique about Ghanaian fashion?
Ghanaians are dedicated followers of fashion. But their clothing is based on more than just vibrant colours and free-flowing frocks, with heritage and culture playing an important role in stylistic choices.
What is Ghana best known for?
In addition to being known for its lush forests, diverse animal life, and miles of sandy beaches along a picturesque coast, Ghana is also celebrated for its rich history—its habitation possibly dating from 10,000 bce—and as a fascinating repository of cultural heritage.
How is kente a symbol of pride?
Kente is exported as one of the key symbols of African heritage and pride in African ancestry throughout the diaspora. In spite of the proliferation of both the hand-woven and machine-printed kente, the design is still regarded as a symbol of social prestige, nobility, and cultural sophistication.
Why do African Americans wear kente cloth?
Kente is a meaningful sartorial device, as every aspect of its aesthetic design is intended as communication. The colors of the cloth each hold symbolism: gold = status/serenity, yellow = fertility, green = renewal, blue = pure spirit/harmony, red = passion, black = union with ancestors/spiritual awareness.
Who can wear a kente stole?
While any high school or college student qualifies to wear a Kente stole at their graduation, the display should hold a deep, personal significance for the wearer. Stoles were first used by the Catholic clergy in the 12th century, worn to distinguish rank or promotion within their hierarchy.
How was Ghana fashion developed?
The development of fashion in Ghana is believed to have started during the colonial period with the introduction of wax prints and “dress” by the colonial masters (Turnings, 2002). Today, Gha- naian Fashion has undergone a complete over- haul because of globalization.
What is the history of fashion in Ghana?
Fashion history in Ghana dates back to the precolonial times. It is worth noting that the West African country boosts of some of the best fashion in the entire region. In fact, it is in the Ashanti region in Ghana in a village known as Bonwire that the prestigious Ghanaian fabric was discovered.
What is the traditional African wear in Ghana?
The traditional African wear in Ghana include the Ghanaian smock and the kente cloth. The Ghanaian smock is made from the gonja cloth. The two attires have been in existence for as long as the Ghanaian fashion has existed. The Kente cloth is very significant among the Ghanaians.
What is the Ghanaian fabric?
In fact, it is in the Ashanti region in Ghana in a village known as Bonwire that the prestigious Ghanaian fabric was discovered. Kente was the most and probably still is one of the most famous of all the African textile cloths. Kente means woven cloth. It was used for beauty adornment and was the perfect choice for kings and chieftains.
What happened to Ghana’s clothes business?
( Foreign Correspondent: Andrew Greaves) In Ghana, they call them “obroni wawu” — dead white man’s clothes. But the clothes business is not what it once was. “Seventeen years back [when I started] it was good,” said Ajaab, “but now what they are bringing to Africa, to Ghana … they are continuing to reduce the quality that was given to us.