Rather than clearly emerging problems and solutions, this study has resulted much more in a kind of mapping of a complex terrain in which questions of perception and interpretation may significantly shape individual opinions. My decision to make the research available as an online website and blog has been partly to put it ‘out there’ for debate but also to create a useful tool for design practitioners of African print fabrics to explore and challenge the many different aspects that could be directly or indirectly impacted by their design choices. It is also meant to be used as an open source platform that can be added to and accessed to share and exchange information, perceptions and ideas. The following two paragraphs will give a brief overview of the site to enable the user to explore whichever section may be of interest.
The website is structured into five headings exploring the wider context of African print fabrics or ‘mapping the terrain’: This section – About – is providing an overview. African print fabric looks at the different connotations of the term and its history and makes it relevant as an object linked to local cultural identity. Patterns of consumption describes current changes in consumer demand, how this affects cultural ownership and how local cloth values are affected by global fashion trends and emerging technologies. Design for cultural sustainability introduces cultural sustainability as a framework and makes it relevant for design practice. Ways forward is comprised of a conclusive summary and an invitation to contribute to the discussion through comments, email and social media channels and contains a list of references.
The homepage is in the form of a blog that introduces new methods and approaches to textile design through four design prototypes. These prototypes result from field research amongst a rural community in southern Mozambique as well as continued investigations around print fabrics in Mozambique through social media experiments. Each blog is an example of how textile design may be able to add an element that becomes instrumental in facilitating communication and participation as building blocks towards the construction of cultural values. Each individual blog can be discussed and commented upon and further contributions of ideas that bridge African print fabrics with cultural sustainability can be emailed to culturalfabricafrica@gmail.com.
How to use this site
Rather than clearly emerging problems and solutions, this study has resulted much more in a kind of mapping of a complex terrain in which questions of perception and interpretation may significantly shape individual opinions. My decision to make the research available as an online website and blog has been partly to put it ‘out there’ for debate but also to create a useful tool for design practitioners of African print fabrics to explore and challenge the many different aspects that could be directly or indirectly impacted by their design choices. It is also meant to be used as an open source platform that can be added to and accessed to share and exchange information, perceptions and ideas. The following two paragraphs will give a brief overview of the site to enable the user to explore whichever section may be of interest.
The website is structured into five headings exploring the wider context of African print fabrics or ‘mapping the terrain’: This section – About – is providing an overview. African print fabric looks at the different connotations of the term and its history and makes it relevant as an object linked to local cultural identity. Patterns of consumption describes current changes in consumer demand, how this affects cultural ownership and how local cloth values are affected by global fashion trends and emerging technologies. Design for cultural sustainability introduces cultural sustainability as a framework and makes it relevant for design practice. Ways forward is comprised of a conclusive summary and an invitation to contribute to the discussion through comments, email and social media channels and contains a list of references.
The homepage is in the form of a blog that introduces new methods and approaches to textile design through four design prototypes. These prototypes result from field research amongst a rural community in southern Mozambique as well as continued investigations around print fabrics in Mozambique through social media experiments. Each blog is an example of how textile design may be able to add an element that becomes instrumental in facilitating communication and participation as building blocks towards the construction of cultural values. Each individual blog can be discussed and commented upon and further contributions of ideas that bridge African print fabrics with cultural sustainability can be emailed to culturalfabricafrica@gmail.com.
continue to next chapter