Doeks are simply who we are - David Tlale

Published Jun 2, 2016

Share

By Omeshnie Naidoo

Durban - International fashion may credit Grace Kelly and Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City) for the rise and rise of the head wrap but in South Africa it's the doek and it's who we are.

“Long before the runway got a hold of it, the doek had its roots in numerous African cultures,” says fashion designer David Tlale, who took the piece to the ramp at his 2012 showing at New York Fashion Week.

“I could see that global fashion was embracing the look, but to me and my context it has always had meaning. The head wrap, often in various styles and with bright African prints, is worn by married women, Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho and others, as a symbol of respect and modesty,” he said.

Somewhere along the line colonisers were said to have “imposed” the head wrap on domestics workers and this is perhaps where it gets its Afrikaans name from.

But throughout the African continent for centuries before and after, it has represented the beauty of African women and it is these connotations that prevail.

In Nigeria - a country driving trends around African identity, there is the Gele style, where the doek is worn with a tie worn to the right if a woman is married or tied to the left if she is not.

Outside of tradition, it has moved in and out of favour in the fashion world and gained momentum as the move to modesty gained popularity.

 

 

A photo posted by modiegi (@mo_mulaudzi) on Jun 2, 2016 at 1:12am PDT

 

Salma Kazi Wahab, of the modest fashion marketing company Estatira, says women in fashion history wore the head wrap with style.

She said,”Think of Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn in scarves. Those looks are in vogue now because the overall look is one of modesty - long sleeves, floor length dresses - and it speaks to that vibe in fashion which people are embracing.”

The doek has multiple reference points. For instance, it has also found a place in the Afro soul festival look that is a prevailing trend in fashion at the moment. Instagram is loaded with pictures of girls in various head wraps for this reason. And on Pinterest you will find hundreds of turban tutorials.

Tlale points out that last year during the Fees Must Fall protests Shaeera Kalla, Mcebo Dlamini and Nompendulo Mkatshwa, who famously appeared on the cover of a magazine wearing a head wrap, appear to have resurrected the doek. This time as a symbol of respect, and more so, pride and female empowerment.

Tlale says the role of the head wrap has evolved and has particular significance in the South African context.

“Africans have always had the head wrap. Venture into rural parts of our country and you will find women who wear them daily. In Sandton you can rock a black dress with a doek in a colourful African fabric.

 

 

A photo posted by @refashionafrica on May 23, 2016 at 12:16am PDT

 

“In Africa it is always worn with pride and by men and women. On Africa Day I wore a turban, which incidentally is also significant among men in Indian culture. To me you can never say it is fashionable. To the born frees it is maybe a trend, but we've been doing it for years. It is simply who we are.”

 

 

A photo posted by Trishi 'Twister' Kent (@trishi_n) on Jun 1, 2016 at 11:46am PDT

 

* The head wrap was in the news this week after eNCA reporter Nontobeko Sibisi claimed a report she had filed was removed because she was wearing a doek.

Daily News

Related Topics: