Halyma Smith, Natural Textiles and Heritage

Halyma Smith

Natural Textiles and Heritage ‘How the Use of Natural Textiles and Traditions Be Brought to the Modern World’

AAD Dissertation Studio 16 2020–21

Extracts from Halyma Smith, Natural Textiles and Heritage: ‘How the Use of Natural Textiles and Traditions Be Brought to the Modern World’

Dissertation Studio 16 A Material World Tutor: Gina Pierce

School of Art, Architecture and Design London Metropolitan University 2021

Chapter Three

While expanding my research, I have seen that there are others that have similar ideas, wanting to explore natural textiles like weaving in places like Ghana. People are now beginning to seek innovative ways to make eco-friendly textiles more appealing to today's market of fashion forward individuals. One of the people that I found inspiring was Rosario Dawson, as she has brought a lot of attention to her goals of helping to support and empower locals in places like Ghana with her brand. Her label ‘Studio One Eighty-Nine’ is also part owned by Abrima Erwiah, and has won awards for their initiatives in sustainability. In keeping with Studio One Eighty-Nine, the company ensures that they work closely with communities that specialise in a number of traditional techniques.

I have come across a number of sustainable sources that have given inspirational examples of how achievable it is to use local plants to produce some of the same textile outcomes. One of the initiatives I’ve come across is London College of Fashion’s centre for sustainable fashion. They have made it a primary goal to help educate individuals and businesses on how they can incorporate sustainability into their personal fashion and brand. This will help to change the impact that fashion (fast fashion in particular) is having on nature. As written by Nina Stevenson (2021), the idea is that they hold courses that are free to the public in order to make the transition to a more ecofriendly and sustainable fashion lifestyle more accessible. This action will grant individuals who wish to take more confident steps towards sustainable fashion but aren’t sure how to exactly manoeuvre around the obstacles that are to be faced, the know-how. This will also make room for discussions on how to help restore and replenish nature from a variety of different viewpoints. As perfectly stated by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (2020), peace must be made with nature as the current habits of humans are the root of our descent towards chaos, which also means that the actions of humans can resolve it.

So far, Ghana’s fashion scene has been trying to look at more sustainable ways to innovative, but I find that Africa is often left to play catch up as the opportunities frequently isn’t there. The government is yet to set aside a budget to help more locally produced textiles, let alone sustainable

ones. This would have been a great way to give more jobs to the people, while reducing the level of poverty within the country. In Ghana the fashion industry doesn’t hold as much footing as the agricultural one does. This is most likely due to the fact that farming for food products is more of a necessity to many people in Ghana as fashion is more of a luxury. The Ghanaian government has tried on many occasions to partner up with local farmers for food production. If there was a way for the fashion industry to also look into partnering up with these farmers to see how feasible it is to gather the waste products such as pulp and plant debris to turn them into wearable materials.

This could potentially be the level of interdependence needed to help get Ghana and its people out of lane of playing catch up and more into the space of setting the tone for the rest of Africa. This could be a powerful way to bring Ghana and its fashion industry into a more forward-thinking place, while also tying in Ghanaian traditions and craftsmanship. This could potentially be highly beneficial to have more plant-based options to make fabrics such as Kente, Mud cloth, Batik etc.

Figure 13: Anita P. “Chiefs in Ghana.” JPEG file. https://answersafrica.com/so-what-do-you-know-about-ghanas-ashantitribe.html

Conclusion

I have found many pros to mixing the old traditional ways of tying in natural resources, with the modern techniques that are used today to create clothing styles that are both comfortable yet stylish. This mixing of tradition and contemporary ways of doing things, allows those who have been in this trade for generations to be able to continue on for generations to come. It also gives us as a whole, more affordable solutions to the current fast fashion crisis. By working together, using fresh ideas we are able to create a future that benefits everyone.

In Ghana fast fashion or mass-produced clothing currently is unheard of, which can be seen as a good thing. As The constant need to “keep up” doesn't exist among the everyday person. As the average person in Ghana makes a humble living, the urge to spend frivolously on clothing isn't there. There’s a sensibility here that I haven't seen in the West due to capitalism and the constant marketing to buy. With this being said, I have noticed that the younger generation are more into their fashion and clothing. As time goes on and Ghana’s economy continues to rise, I see there being a rise in wanting to make more fashionable purchases that are more in line with the West.

Currently, the average person often gets their day-to-day clothing, second hand at the local market and will invest in a custom woven garment which tends to last a life time. There is a timelessness with these uniquely created garments, which isn't often seen these days. This is something that seems to be gravely missing, as we are in the era of throw away fashion and mass production. As expressed by Lucy Purdy (Positive News, 2017), weaving is still seen as a sacred and meaningful skill. The creation of textiles and weaving is done within the community, and people tend to go to their local weavers to get their material made for special occasions. I have found that this has kept a rapport between the craftsmen and locals that goes back generations.

Kati Chitrakorn (2017) has stated that according to the 2011 UN comtrade data, it was estimated that 80 percent of clothing worn by Africans was second -hand. This may be seen as a good thing in terms of sustainability, but many argue that this is a huge rival to many local clothing businesses.

This in turn has a continuous effect on the economy. As most of the clothing is shipped from the US, the US has threatened to impose sanctions on many African nations if they try to refuse the load. This is because the refusal of the US’ waste, would result in a vast strain on their clothing industry. It is not uncommon for Africa to be used as a dumping ground to many Western countries and now China. Unfortunately, most are unaware of the position they are put in as their main focus is their day-to-day living. For this reason, the average person in Ghana would say that the second hand clothing industry is a blessing to those who cannot to invest in new clothes; which happens to be most of the population.

Through considering all of the research and experimentations I have come across; I see that to merge Ghanaian heritage with new forward-thinking sustainability can be exactly what is needed to take Ghana and the rest of Africa to the next level globally. The task won't be a simple one, but it is definitely full of endless possibilities. I feel as though Africa is and has been ready for a while and there are many individuals who are already paving the way to make it possible for others to follow in their footsteps. Africa’s resources are rich and plentiful, it is time that the resources and development is put into the uplifting of the people.

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