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RED CARPET SHOTS: Various PAM guests in African wear |
By Hellen Nyana
PEOPLE in Kampala are known for jumping at any trend, going along with it as long as it lasts and then moving on to whatever else comes in. Now anything that has a tinge of African-ness to it is considered very trendy, and not only in the fashion sense. All these African things have been around for ages, but people seem to be more excited about them now than they were before.
African garb was considered fashionable for politicians — who had a lot to put forward about patriotism — or the married ladies. It was considered old-fashioned and unmarried people would only be forced into it if it was for traditional functions like introduction ceremonies or burials and last funeral rights.
This is not the case any more because more people are choosing African dressing and not only for traditional functions. Go to any corporate function and there is a big chance that the MC will be wearing an African outfit. Many of the people who were clad in African outfits at the recently concluded PAM Awards were considered to be impressively turned out — flowing in perfectly with the theme of the night.
It is no longer a surprise for a bride to change into an African outfit like umushanana or omwenda or to have her maids outfits made out of African material. The groom might pull it off in a nicely done tie-and-dye outfit teamed with linen pants exuding an air of sophistication and a true African spirit.
Although women are felt to be the trend chasers, the African fashion craze has also taken the men by storm. The guys have not only gone for the clothes but the jewellery as well. It was once off-putting (and still is for some people) for a man to wear silver or golden necklaces. Not so for the African necklaces or bracelets, which tend to supplement their masculinity.
The reasons people chose to dress in African fashion range from desiring to be unique to being respectable, patriotic and, above all, decent. Fashion critic Keturah Kamugasa believes that it is because of the increased awareness that Ugandans have about fashion trends. “They know what exactly they want and that is what they ask their designers to make for them,” she says.
Justin, a seamstress from a boutique in town, attributes it to the rise of designers in Uganda. “People used to import outfits from abroad but we now have professional designers who are very creative and will make anything beautifully African from a fabric.”
The African craze has also extended from the fashion scene to interior designing. It has become popular for homes or hang-out places to have wall hangings and tablemats made from banana fibre or barkcloth, African stools, African candleholders and small decorations like drums or African animals that give the place an African ambience.
Also on the increase is the use of African names, even more popular among the Christians.
Moses, a 35-year-old father of two, says that the African names are very beautiful and that it makes sense if people use names such as Mwesigwa, Kisakye, and Kwagala instead of English nmes. “It is not just about patriotism or repulsion of what is foreign but rather about giving children names that make a lot of sense to us as Africans.”
Published on: Saturday, 18th November, 2006
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