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Adinkra Symbol of the Week

This week's Adinkra symbol is called Hye Won Hye:

Translated, this symbol means "that which does not burn" and is symbolic of imperishably and endurance.  Priests whom walk on fire with their bare feet are said to embody this symbol and are a reminder to others to endure and overcome their difficulties.

Adinkra-print dress of the day:

Oluchi Onweagba in African Haute Couture

Runway picture of Oluchi Onweagba for Mustafa Hassanali - Africa Fashion Week 2010 (Johannesburg-SA)

Adinkra Symbol of the Week

This week's symbol is called Adinkrahene:

This symbol is called "the chief of the Adinkra symbols" and signifies the importance of playing a leadership role throughout your life.  It is said that this particular symbol, being the chief of the others, played an "inspiring role" in the designing of other symbols.

Style Africa Meeting!

This week's meeting took place in the Danford Room where many of my anthropology lectures take place at the University of Birmingham.  The room features walls adorned with artifacts from West Africa collected by CWAS (Centre of West African Studies) lecturers and patrons from the nineteen sixties to present day.  Missing from the collection encased in the Danford room, however, is the University's surprising collection of West African cloth.  Today some pieces were brought out of storage, and donning white gloves we set to viewing the collection hands-on.

Here are a few of my favorite pieces: (apologies for the quality of the photographs, they were taken on my phone)

This is a vibrant print, produced in India for African purchase.  Prints like this are usually inexpensive to buy, but lack the prestige and the expensive materials of real African fabrics and prints.

This top (folded in half) is an example of African dip-dye cloth.  This piece caught my eye as the dip-dye pattern is intricate yet simplistic due to the use of white space between the dyed areas.  The gold embellishments around the collar and the pockets are incredible examples of embroidery.

This is a piece of Kente cloth, native to the Akan people of Ghana.  Kente is made in strips of painstakingly woven pieces of cotton and silk, which are then sewn together to create a large cloth which can then be made in to clothing.  This particular piece (which is over 50 years old) has symbols, not to dissimilar to Adinkra ones, woven into the strips of fabric two.  It's hard to imagine how long this cloth would have taken someone to produce!

The second part of our meeting was set aside to design the "look" of Style Africa, which included designing posters and information booklets/fliers.  Adam would then take our designs to a graphic designer and interpret them into the finished product.

....a final snap of us making a mess of the Danford room (:

Adinkra symbol of the week

This week's Adinkra symbol is called Nkyinkyim:

This symbol represents initiative, dynamism and versatility.  It appears on the anthropology pages of my University's intranet  for students along with the Adinkra symbol, which translated means "war horn".  

Spotlight on: Congo Rose

Congo Rose (http://www.congorose.com) is home to the most amazing African prints, handbags and clothing.  Brightly coloured moon bags, textile necklaces and journals adorn this website's pages.  It doesn't stop there either, Congo Rose also supply beautiful African textiles in a rainbow of colours and a myriad of designs, some of which incorporate Adinkra symbols:  

The stand-out pieces for me were the bright and cheery textile necklaces, each of which is totally unique.  They are the perfect quirky accompaniment to liven up any outfit:

Add to that the amazing Khanga Congo Rose has to offer:

And the lovely pieces Congo Rose have created for the home which include: cushion covers, tablecloths, aprons and napkins!

Congo Rose make it possible for everyone to add a splash of bright, authentic African style to their own homes and to themselves. So go on, add a unique piece to your wardrobe or home, http://www.congorose.com :-)

Adinkra symbol of the week

This week's Adinkra symbol is called Nyame Nti:

Translated this means "by god's grace".  The stalk is taken to represent the "staff of life" in many cultures.  It symbolises to the Akan that food is the basis of life and that they could not survive if not for the food that God has placed here on Earth for their nourishment