Amani
Dress
2020 (designed), 2022 (made)
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.
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.
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Title | Amani (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 |
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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 created | January 14, 2022 |
Record URL |
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