Fashioning the Afropolis: Histories, Materialities and Aesthetic Practices

Fashioning the Afropolis explores global fashion, design, dress, photography, and the body in Lagos, Johannesburg, Dakar, and Douala, challenging perceptions and offering new insights. It contributes to the debates around the globalization of fashion and fashion theory by exploring fashion as a genuine urban phenomenon on the continent and among its diasporas.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 21 March 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

“A revelation. Reclaiming fashion from its European history.” – Shane White

Fashioning the Afropolis is a groundbreaking exploration of global fashion, design, dress, photography, and the body in some of the major cities of Sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on Lagos, Johannesburg, Dakar, and Douala. By delving into fashion as a genuine urban phenomenon on the continent and among its diasporas, the book contributes to the ongoing debates surrounding the globalization of fashion and fashion theory.

Until now, the relationship between fashion and cities in the African context has been largely overlooked, with a Western-centric gaze dominating scholarship. This perspective has resulted in the perception of Africa as provincial and its visual arts and textile cultures as static and folkloristic. However, this distorted view is particularly unfortunate given Africa's rich sartorial past. With a multitude of tailors ready to adapt and renew clothing, reshape garments into contemporary styles, and many cities in Africa becoming hot-spots for a steadily growing and well-connected scene of fashion designers in the past 20 years, the time is ripe for a reevaluation and reconsideration of the fashionscapes of Africa.

Leading scholars in the field offer an updated empirical and theoretical foundation on which to base new and exciting research on sub-Saharan fashion. By challenging perceptions and offering fresh insights, Fashioning the Afropolis provides a valuable contribution to the study of fashion and its global implications. This book is essential for anyone interested in fashion, culture, and the African continent, as it offers a unique perspective on the role of fashion in shaping the identities and experiences of individuals and communities across the world.

Weight: 512g
Dimension: 156 x 234 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350327849