From Ghana to Niger and beyond, fashion in Africa is a performance art, a showcase for the work of traditional master artisans, and a spectator sport. Crafts of African Fashion is a new initiative promoting the continuity of heritage arts in Africa, exploring the important role cultural enterprises play in sustaining communities and connecting generations on the continent and throughout the diaspora. All events are free!
June 27–July 1 and July 4–8, 10:30–6 p.m.
Meet artisans and designers from Ghana, Niger, and the African Diaspora as they lead daily presentations and activities for visitors of all ages.
Wearing Wakanda: Global African Identities and the Crafts of African Fashion
Saturday, June 30, 2 –3:30 p.m.
National Museum of African Art
The film Black Panther represented emerging global African identities by using Ghanaian adinkra, kente, and other African textiles in the costumes. Join a conversation with masters of design and textile arts and explore the role of heritage arts in fashion. Wear your “Wakandan” best! FREE.
African Fashion and Film: A Look at the Current and Future State of African Fashion
Sunday, July 1, 1–3 p.m.
National Museum of African American History and Culture,
Oprah Winfrey Theater
From haute couture designers to pop culture fashion houses to the streets of Soweto, take a journey through the creativity and style influenced by the African continent. We’ll explore the current state and future of African fashion through a series of short films and a panel discussion with local scholars and local, national, and international designers. Free, but registration required.
For more information and to register: festival.si.edu/2018/crafts-african-fashion
The Crafts of African Fashion program is presented by the 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in partnership with the National Museum of African Art and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In-kind program support comes from Nando’s Peri-Peri at The Yards.
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