And now, ladies and Gentlemen : The Dashiki !
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We hope you are all doing well…
Last week we had a French piece on Woodin. Today we are turning to our English-speaking audience to introduce a genuinely African fabric, the Dashiki.
We’re therefore taking you all the way to Nigeria, a country nestled on the west coast of Africa. It is there that the Dashikis, those short bright colored traditional tunics, were born.
In the Yoruba culture, different colors of dashikis represent various events and shades of emotions. History reminds us that “the traditionally white or purple dashikis were worn by grooms on their wedding day.” The purple was “the color of African royalty.” Blue dashikis symbolized peace, harmony, and love.
In the late 1960s, the Dashiki made its way to North America and was typically worn by African American men as an illustration of “black is beautiful.” The fabric emerged in the U.S market “as a symbolism for Black American Afrocentric identity and found its place among the black pride and white countercultural movement.”
Nowadays, this colorful African design is worn on different occasions, by anyone, including celebrities, irrespective of gender or ethnicity.
Yes, you heard it well. Women are now at the forefront of pioneering the dashiki prints.
At Saahel, for the men, we offer a wide range of Dashikis: from the traditional tunics to the dressy tops, without forgetting our comfortable T-shirts and sweatshirts with a modern twist.
Ladies, you can also make a statement by wearing our bold printed dashiki dresses and skirts.
The Dashiki has certainly made a transition from the Yoruba “male working shirt roots”, to a fashionable celebration of African heritage for men and women of all walks of life.
They’ll be waiting for you on the shelves of our online boutique in the weeks to come. Join us to cheer this collection mixing tradition and modernity for your pleasure and to welcome a new season!
Stay safe!
Morenike McFaal
Co-Founder