Through the one year plus of researching and growing the #OwnYourCulture movement, I have been blessed enough to discover the diverse beauty of Kenyan culture and East African 'traditional' culture as a whole. This has been through asking older members of society, our beloved museums, historic writings and photographs and of course trolling the internet.Several communities in Kenya used the similar jewelry designs to adorn themselves, the difference would come in whether they were made of copper or beads. At this point it's absolutely safe to say that our great ancestors were pure creative geniuses!
Fun fact: did you know our ancestors wore these glamour pieces throughout their days and lives, like how glam was your home village? Each piece symbolized different situations in their daily life, so there were almost 100 pieces signifying different things. If you're anything like me, village life mustn't have been that bad, I mean dance festival days, fashion-like festivals(showcasing who had the most creative hair style or jewelry style)- I can live with that!
On research, colonization forced many Kenyan communities to disown and abandon, various indigenous jewelry and art. With
#OwnYourCulture Campaign I seek to restore inherently 'traditional' pieces as fashion statements. And even beyond, because we as Kenyans really need to appreciate and nurture what is ours, from arts, music as well as these ornaments. For example this beaded choker, the intricate design and detail makes It perfect for the simplest LBDs!
This piece is perfect for the office given it's colorful yet minimalist piece for Its size.
Visit
@OwnYourCulture Instagram to see how trendsetters from East and South Africa style 'traditional' neck pieces. Join the movement, let's wear our culture with style and pride!
Miss Vavavum
Xx
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