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Made in China, fashioned in Africa: ethnic dress in Ethiopia and Mozambique

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2021

Johanna von Pezold  and
Miriam Driessen
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Abstract

The influx of Chinese-made African ethnic dress has been central to debates about the consequences of the growing Chinese presence in Africa. Exploring the reception of the Chinese-produced capulana in Mozambique and net'ela in Ethiopia, we demonstrate that Mozambican and Ethiopian manufacturers and traders, from the grass roots up to cultural elites, engage with Chinese imports with creativity and verve. While welcoming Chinese materials for their affordability, bold and bright colours and suitability for dressmaking, they fashion them in ways that fit their own tastes and the local fashion trends. We distinguish three practices by which people do this: first, by incorporating Chinese materials or design elements into their own products; second, by co-creating new designs and dress with their Chinese counterparts; and third, by altering the imported fabrics. Apart from fashioning imports, some manufacturers use strategies to distinguish their own products from Chinese counterparts. These strategies include naming practices linked to the stories of their origin and alterations to the material.

Résumé

Résumé

L'afflux de textiles ethniques fabriqués en Chine a été au cœur des débats sur les conséquences de la présence chinoise croissante en Afrique. En explorant la réception de capulana fabriquées en Chine au Mozambique et de net'ela en Éthiopie, les auteurs démontrent que les fabricants et les commerçants mozambicains et éthiopiens, des couches populaires aux élites culturelles, abordent ces importations chinoises avec créativité et verve. Ils accueillent ces tissus chinois pour leur prix abordable, leurs couleurs vives et leur qualité, mais ils en font des vêtements qui correspondent à leurs propres goûts et aux tendances de mode locales. Les auteurs distinguent trois moyens d'y parvenir : d'abord, en incorporant les tissus chinois ou éléments de style dans leurs propres produits; ensuite, en co-créant de nouveaux styles et tenues avec leurs homologues chinois; et enfin, en retouchant les tissus importés. En dehors de la stylisation des importations, certains fabricants utilisent des stratégies pour différencier leurs propres produits de ceux de leurs homologues chinois. Parmi ces stratégies figurent des pratiques de dénomination liées aux histoires de leur origine et aux retouches des tissus.

Type
China–Africa dress
Information
Africa , Volume 91 , Issue 2 , February 2021 , pp. 317 - 336
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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