South African style draws on heritage fabrics and a lively design scene.
Shweshwe
Shweshwe, also spelt seshoeshoe, is a printed, dyed cotton used for traditional Basotho clothing and originally dyed with indigo. It is said that King Moshoeshoe I was given the fabric by French missionaries in the 1840s, and 19th-century German and Swiss settlers imported similar blue prints. Colour is removed in patterns with copper rollers, giving florals, stripes and geometric motifs. Married Sotho women and newly married Xhosa women traditionally wear it, and it has been compared to denim or tartan for South Africa. Da Gama Textiles has made it since 1982.
A fashion week
South African Fashion Week was founded in 1997, and stages an event twice a year in Johannesburg. It aims to showcase designers’ craftsmanship, helps them build sustainable businesses, and promotes slow fashion using natural fibres and responsible production.
Sources: Wikipedia: Shweshwe, South African Fashion Week: About.
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