현대 아프리카 패션 디자이너의 작품 특성에 관한 연구 -테베 마구구, 케네스 이제이, 웨카포레 지브릴을 중심으로-

Abstract

Numerous activities of African designers have been receiving unprecedented attention in the fashion world, and this has triggered me to engage in this study. This study intends to examine how the three designers, Thebe Magugu, Kenneth Ize, and Wekafore Jibril, who represent the current generation of African fashion, express their brand identity as well as to observe the characteristics of their designs and how they are expressed, along with their implications in today’s fashion. Several designers, who have won internationally renowned fashion awards or are highlighted in global magazines, with brands rooted in Africa, were selected as the subjects. Afterward, their brand collections, look books, interviews, collection reviews, and press releases were collected and analyzed closely. This research has revealed that their mission and pride as Africans have played a role in creating their brand identity, and the development of their collections has been independent of the conventional African perspective unfairly enforced by the Western exploitation of Africa in the past. Thebe Magugu first started women's wear based on the tradition and spirit of South Africa and has been expressing a sense of commitment to represent his country. Ize, who is presenting designs based on the legacy of Nigeria, also has been expressing a deep sense of responsibility for the development of the community spirit and industry of his nation. Wekafore, in addition, has incorporated West African nostalgia and spirit into his brand aesthetic, and his design characteristics reflect the following aspects: breaking away from the Western-centered ethnic design, and a strong sense of identity through featuring black models. The rise of contemporary African designers calls for a reconsideration of how Africa should be viewed since the country has been evaluated from a western-centric viewpoint. The aesthetics of African fashion is emerging as a subject of culture and aesthetics that goes beyond the design concept present in third world countries. It is expected that their aesthetic expressions of Africa will have a great resonance with the fashion world in the near future.