Melbourne exhibition showcases designers from 20 countries
The largest and most comprehensive exhibition of African fashion ever to reach Australian shores is being showcased in Melbourne from tomorrow, featuring designs from more than 20 countries.
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TVTranscript
00:00 This is a real explosion of colour and celebration of culture, highlighting the dynamism and
00:08 diversity that is African fashion.
00:11 And I'm joined now by Christine Tukinska, who is the curator of the V&A in London, and
00:17 you've brought this collection all the way from the UK.
00:19 Tell us a little bit about it.
00:22 The exhibition begins in the mid-20th century with the Cultural Renaissance.
00:26 1960 was the year of Africa, where 17 countries rid themselves of colonial rule.
00:33 What's really thrilling about the show to me is that it's not just fashion ensemble,
00:37 it's not just outfits, there's fashion photography, there's also the soundtrack of independence.
00:43 So really painting a picture of what life was like in that mid-20th century.
00:47 And there was also an explosion in fashion, and it's the foundation to the buzzing contemporary
00:52 scene that we see here in the cutting edge section of this show.
00:56 There are so many fantastic pieces here, but this one in particular just behind us has
01:00 caught your eye.
01:01 Tell us a little bit about it.
01:03 Absolutely.
01:04 So this one really did catch my eye.
01:06 What I love about it is her use of traditional raffia, but she's really cutting edge in that
01:11 she's making a comment on decolonisation through her use of deconstruction.
01:16 So you get this wonderful, elegant cut, but then the traditional raffia.
01:22 Another favourite is a wonderful fuchsia pick ensemble by the Paris couturier, Iman Aissi.
01:33 So he was born in the Cameroon, but chooses to work in Paris.
01:37 And in that way, he's kind of changing perceptions of what luxury fashions are, and changing
01:42 perceptions of what African fashions are and can be.
01:46 Christine, why is it so important to showcase African fashion to the world, and particularly
01:52 as far away as the shores of Australia?
01:55 African fashion creatives are really leading the way in terms of how we think about fashion,
01:59 how we consume it, and how we produce it.
02:02 So for example, for all of the fashion creatives in this show, sustainability is ground zero.
02:08 So it's sustainability around fabrics, materials, and people.
02:13 But also there's a whole section of narrative fashion designers that use their work to critique
02:19 political issues of the day, or personal issues, whether that's gender fluidity, for example,
02:25 or it's around women's empowerment.
02:27 And these are all such important issues.
02:30 And what's interesting is the way that African fashion creatives use their work to explore
02:35 that and to highlight that.
02:39 I think fashion and textiles are so important across global Africa, and it's a wonderful
02:44 opportunity for local African diaspora communities to really get involved.
02:49 So we had a public call out inviting local people to share their images of them in their
02:55 sort of Sunday best or in their best gear, things that were meaningful to them.
03:00 But not only that, what's exciting about the Melbourne iteration of the show is that we
03:04 have local fashion professionals of African heritage, again, stretching their stuff in
03:09 the photography.
03:11 And photography is key across the exhibition.
03:14 It's such an amazing exhibition, so colourful and brilliant.
03:17 Thank you very much for your time.
03:19 And Africa Fashion runs here at the National Gallery of Victoria until October the 6th.
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