International Journal of Fashion Studies - Moda Negra, Past and Present, Oct 2023

This article delves into the remarkable work and journey of Goya Lopes, an Afro-Brazilian designer, entrepreneur and activist. It explores the intersection of fashion and art within her designs of patterned fabrics, which encompass a wide range of everyday and unique garments, household items and more. The discussion highlights pivotal moments in Lopes’s career, including her 2008 solo exhibition The African Diaspora in Brazil, her collaborative book Imagens da Diáspora (‘Images of the diaspora’) with Brazilian historian Gustavo Falcón in 2010 and her 2017 installation Sentidos Afro-Baianos (‘Afro-Bahian senses’). Through examining select fabric patterns, the article unveils their significance as integral components of Lopes’s ongoing anti-racist activism, which has spanned over five decades from the region of Bahia in northeastern Brazil. Lastly, it delves into Lopes’s unique conceptualization of her fabrics as axós, drawing on the Yoruba term for aso (‘cloth’), and highlights their role as empowering, protective and militant Afro-diasporic mantles. The article underscores how Lopes employs fashion design as a form of activism and a subtle yet potent means to propagate political ideas.

This article explores the ways in which fashion consumption shaped the understandings of citizenship and belonging in colonial and postcolonial Nigeria and Brazil. It focuses on ankara, a printed textile that was brought to West Africa by European merchants and Christian missionaries. The article examines how African materials, such as ankara, challenged modern beauty standards and have been used to control people during colonization. In Nigeria, ankara became a symbol of the new Christian citizen, while in contemporary Brazil, it was used to challenge western fashion and celebrate African heritage. The article uses visual art, literature and interviews with fashion designers in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Salvador to show how ankara has become a part of Afrocentric Brazilian fashion. Overall, the study of ankara shows how fashion has been used as a tool of oppression and how its oppressive history is in the process of changing, thanks to modern Afro-Brazilian fashion designers.

This article explores decolonial fashion ethnography, focusing on the convergence of media and fashion in Angola and Brazil. Through fieldwork research, the article examines the production and circulation of fashion goods. The article emphasizes the need to decolonize the media and fashion industries, proposing the Antes de Ontem method for decolonial fashion ethnography. This method encourages a shift away from Eurocentric and binary thinking, promoting inclusivity and diversity in fashion research. The author emphasizes the coloniality of dress and the perpetuation of structural and cultural racism within the fashion industry. The article concludes by advocating for the integration of Afro-Brazilian fashion history and knowledge, challenging structural racism and Eurocentrism in the industry.

Maria Auxiliadora da Silva, an Afro-Brazilian painter in the early twentieth century, was born into an artistic family. Her artwork, which reflects everyday life and Afro-Brazilian culture, includes personal memories and experiences. This article focuses on how Silva portrayed clothing and textiles in her paintings, particularly in terms of female representations and Black religiosity. Three of her works in the collection of the Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (MASP) will serve as starting points for discussing the intersection of fashion studies, art history and decolonial interpretations.

This article investigates the production and consumption of Candomblé clothing in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, exploring its historical roots and significance within Afro-religious culture. The study analyses the contemporary Candomblé fashion industry, interviewing both older, established seamstresses and younger practitioners. Candomblé attire serves as a marker of identity and hierarchy within a religion that has faced historical racism and persecution. With a growing destigmatization and tourism influence, Candomblé clothing has gained visibility and commercial value. The emergence of a new generation of seamstresses contributes to the revival of traditional techniques and creates a market for Candomblé fashion. Overall, the article provides valuable insights into the evolving role of Candomblé clothing in Brazilian Afro-religious culture.