HEAD WRAP WORKSHOP

I would like to congratulate all the sisters who came to the Traditional Head Wrap session on Saturday March 26th. There was a mix of sisters from beginners and some who had worn headwraps before but wanted to be able to create different styles.

HISTORY – I felt it was important to begin the workshop with a short presentation about the history of head dressing. The history of Africa holds the significance of the African head wrap.

African head wraps have been part of African culture for centuries worn by queens in Ancient Egypt and Nubia and continued to be worn today in order to preserve heritage. African cultures used head wraps so that men could show off their wealth and the level of their social status and so that women could prove that they were prosperous and spiritual. Famous artists in the 1700’s, have painted African slaves wearing head wraps that appear high on their foreheads and above their ears.  Although the structure no longer applies for women to formally cover their heads for any reason.  Head Wraps worn at special events have now become a fashion statement for the Black woman, claiming its place within the history of the African Diaspora. It is one of the few piece of dress, which spans the pre-slavery period, and the evolving of African people to the present day.

DEMONSTRATION – African head wraps come in many bright bold colours that animate the face and are often made of luxurious material and designed in intricate patterns. Some African women continue to wear head wraps to boast their spiritual strength. I brought to the workshop a vast colourful collection of material that I have mainly bought from Ghana and purchased material from markets and fabric shops in the UK.

CROWNING BEAUTY  – At the start of the workshop I used some lightweight cotton scarf’s to demonstrate some basic and quick steps to produce some simple styles that don’t look boring.  Thereafter using different length and widths of African printed material to create turban styles at different heights’ and variety of shape without pins to complement the face. After several hours the sisters became used to practicing all the head coverings I demonstrated. I was overwhelmed with the eagerness and persistence everyone portrayed in order to wrap their crowning glory with elegant pieces of fabric. At the end of the session the African queens paraded to the photographic area, were Bro therKosher the studio owner directed our posture in order to take a stunning picture of our crowning glory. (thanks to Michelle of www.naturallynubian01.blogspot.com who assisted with co-ordinating the workshop)

 GELE FABULOSITY“Gele” refers to the Yoruba word for the head wrap commonly associated with Nigeria and West Africa. Both common women and royal queens wore the gele in ancient times, but queens had wraps made of finer material, such as damask — often used for special occasions and worn with a shawl — and colorful aso-oke, material made of silk.  (“ichafu” in Ibo). The wonderful Bunmi of Gele Fabulosity worked wonders creating extravagant styles using exotic colours of  Gele, Aso Oke and Damaske. Her creations wowed us all with finishing touches to make everyone look absolutely stunning.

PURCHASES – It does not have to be expensive, just go to your local material shop or market and buy lightweight cotton fabrics affordable at £1-2 per metre. You just need to know how to be creative, what suits you and practice. For additional decorations add flowers, jewellery. For those who would like the African print fabric or wax print with Adinkra symbols then don’t hesitate to contact.

WORKSHOPS – If you and your friends want to stand out in a crowd, have a piece of cloth you don’t know what to do with, want to learn the basic and Nubian styles, then why not request a Head Wrap workshop. Contact Sister E: info@thecalabashhub.com   07940 186268