I believe, like me, most modern cultural ladies struggle a bit with figuring out how to fuse together modern style with traditional cultural attire, especially when it comes to incorporating culture into a wedding.
My native Ugandan traditional attire, a gomesi or busuuti is bulky, billowy with puffy shoulders; it’s generally un-youthful looking. So most of the younger ladies will wear a strapless version to make it modern. I’ll be sure to do a post and share photos of it when I visit Uganda next year.
So in general, I’m always looking out for ways to incorporate tradition, wearing ankara or African fabric, in a stylish and modern way.
Earlier this year, when I photographed an African traditional engagement ceremony where one of the bridesmaids was wearing this gorgeous pink ankara dress modernized with a skinny gold belt and bright chiffon at the bottom.
I was in L-O-V-E!
It’s so fresh, vibrant, gorgeous and yet, it still pays homage to her cultural heritage!
I’ve been very excited to see ankara material making a splash into the couture fashion scene like Burberry Prorsum in its 2012 Cruise Collection, so chic, modern and with pops of traditional elements and ankara fabric and African beads incorporated or when celebrities step out on the red carpet wearing ankara prints like Beyonce, Gwen Stefani and Solange Knowles in African print.
I love how she paired her ankara bridesmaid dress with a stylish pearl gold chain necklace.
Feel free to post comments on where to get a lovely modern ankara attire.
