Date of Defense

12-8-2017

Date of Graduation

12-2017

Department

Family and Consumer Sciences

First Advisor

Kelly Weathers

Second Advisor

Patti Borello

Abstract

The visual presentation that I have created is a representation of the popular fashions of the Yoruba tribe found in Nigeria. The purpose of this fashion line that I have created is to bring culture awareness about the West African tribe to everyone who comes into contact with my line. Historically, the Yoruba Tribes culture mainly focuses on family, religion, and fashion (through their unique sense of textiles) so I really wanted to showcase this in a line. As a fashion design student at Western I also wanted to take this opportunity to display the skills that I have learned during my time here as it pertains to sewing and fabric manipulation. In order to accomplish this I first did research on key aspects of the Yoruba Tribe. My main pieces of research came from scholarly articles, museums that displayed original pieces of work from the tribe (many of which were surprisingly textiles), and by speaking with a few peers that are originally from West Africa. By doing this I found information about the Yoruba Tribe that is unique and that sets them apart from not only other tribes within Africa but from everyone else in the world. I researched their methods of styling, traditional garments, patterns, prints, colors and dyeing techniques they used on apparel. I also did research on general information from the West African tribe that gave me insight on their overall cultural norms. After doing this I found out interesting information about their culture such as their high twin birth rates and high mortality rates that ultimately lead to the Ibeji dolls that they dress up. Or like their upmost respect for their ancestors that lead to the Egungun costume worn to celebrate them. This fashion line wraps up everything that I have researched on the West African tribe and showcases a true representation of their culture.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

Additional Files
Presentation.pdf (2092 kB)
Defense Presentation
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