Namibian dress varies from region to region, and few garments tell a story as vividly as the Herero dress.
The Herero dress
The traditional Herero dress, called the Ohorokova, has an A-line cut, bright patterned fabric and several petticoats that give the skirt its fullness. It is completed by a hat shaped like cow horns, honouring the importance of cattle. The Victorian style was introduced in the early 1900s by German wives of missionaries and colonists, and the Herero made it their own in vivid colour. It is mainly worn at weddings and funerals, and each outfit is custom made.
Himba adornment
Himba people still wear traditional attire and coat their skin with otjize, a mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment, which gives skin and hair plaits a distinctive texture and an orange or red tinge. It is often scented with aromatic resin. Hairstyles and jewellery indicate age and social status.
New generations
Young Herero designers, models and activists are modernising the attire so that it remains part of contemporary Namibian fashion.
Sources: This Is Africa: Herero dress, The Heritage Portal, Wikipedia: Culture of Namibia.
For more style ideas, browse the shop.