Amani thumbnail 1
Amani thumbnail 2
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images
On loan
  • On short term loan out for exhibition

Amani

Dress
2020 (designed), 2022 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Doreen Mashika founded her eponymous brand in Zanzibar in 2007. Born and raised in Tanzania, Mashika studied and worked in Switzerland before returning home to establish a fashion business. Whilst in Switzerland, Mashika worked in luxury goods fund management, giving her an insight into the fashion industry, although she has no formal training in fashion design.

Mashika’s collections are inspired by the cultural heritage of Africa, especially Tanzania, and khanga is very prominent in her designs. Khanga, also known as leso, is a printed cotton textile popular in East Africa. Rectangular in shape, khanga designs typically have three parts; the pindo (a border), the mji (the central design) and the jina, a strip of text, usually a common saying. Khanga is designed and sold in pairs which are worn together, wrapped around the body. Khanga became popular along the Swahili coast at the end of the 19th century. It is believed to have developed from a merikani, a type of unbleached cotton cloth imported from the US. In the early days khanga was produced largely abroad but following independence from Britain, textile mills were set up in Kenya and Tanzania from the late 1960s and khanga began to be produced in large quantities in East Africa.

Mashika purchases the khanga for her designs at the local markets in Zanzibar. Khanga is traditionally used as an uncut cloth, worn wrapped in various styles. For her designs Mashika typically cuts and tailors khanga, often combining two or more khanga patterns together. The ‘Amani’ dress is typical of Mashika’s designs in that she caters to a range of preferences for modesty. The ‘Amani’ dress for example is available backless or with a back panel for more coverage.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Dress
  • Belt
TitleAmani (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Printed cotton
Brief description
'Amani' dress with belt, made from khanga (printed cotton), designed by Doreen Mashika, Zanzibar, Spring/Summer 2020
Physical description
Dress made from tailored printed khanga, mid-length shirt dress with 3/4 baloon sleeves and a belt.
Gallery label
(02/07/2022 - 16/04/2023)
Khanga is at the heart of Mashika’s work, wrapped in a traditional style or tailored into a flowing dress. Purchased from local traders in Zanzibar, Tanzania, each design and corresponding slogan is chosen with care. Mashika developed the Mikono collection in 2019, inspired by the clothes of the women of Paje, on the south-east coast of Zanzibar, and the woven baskets they carried. Working with women in Paje, she created pieces which incorporated woven grass into the design (T.70 & 71-2022). V&A, Room 40, Africa Fashion
Summary
Doreen Mashika founded her eponymous brand in Zanzibar in 2007. Born and raised in Tanzania, Mashika studied and worked in Switzerland before returning home to establish a fashion business. Whilst in Switzerland, Mashika worked in luxury goods fund management, giving her an insight into the fashion industry, although she has no formal training in fashion design.

Mashika’s collections are inspired by the cultural heritage of Africa, especially Tanzania, and khanga is very prominent in her designs. Khanga, also known as leso, is a printed cotton textile popular in East Africa. Rectangular in shape, khanga designs typically have three parts; the pindo (a border), the mji (the central design) and the jina, a strip of text, usually a common saying. Khanga is designed and sold in pairs which are worn together, wrapped around the body. Khanga became popular along the Swahili coast at the end of the 19th century. It is believed to have developed from a merikani, a type of unbleached cotton cloth imported from the US. In the early days khanga was produced largely abroad but following independence from Britain, textile mills were set up in Kenya and Tanzania from the late 1960s and khanga began to be produced in large quantities in East Africa.

Mashika purchases the khanga for her designs at the local markets in Zanzibar. Khanga is traditionally used as an uncut cloth, worn wrapped in various styles. For her designs Mashika typically cuts and tailors khanga, often combining two or more khanga patterns together. The ‘Amani’ dress is typical of Mashika’s designs in that she caters to a range of preferences for modesty. The ‘Amani’ dress for example is available backless or with a back panel for more coverage.
Collection
Accession number
T.79:1to2-2022

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Record createdJanuary 14, 2022
Record URL
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