I love African mud cloth; I adore the colors and the designs. For those not familiar with this fabric and its characteristics, here are some samples of mud cloth from my home:
For details on the history, making, and symbolism of mud cloth click here: http://www.afrodecor.com/cgi-bin/store.pl/page=mud_cloth_meanings.htm
In my home you'll also find mud cloth place mats, oven mitts, throw pillows, etc. As a musician (particularly one who plays world percussion), wearing clothes which reflect the ethnicity of the music being performed at a gig is important. What clothes could I find that feature those mud cloth designs I love? Almost none. After an expansive search, the only mud cloth clothing I could find (with very few exceptions) came in the form of long, flowing garments that appeared to be traditional African outfits -- clothes that - well, let's just say, don't look good on just anybody. On top of that, mud cloth is hot and scratchy.
Clearly, if I wanted to wear mud cloth designs on articles of clothing that I felt comfortable in, I would have to create the clothes myself. So I did. The results are in these photos:
Models: Seth Stewart, Noel Rodriguez
In short, I've created this blog to introduce my designs to the world, and to learn more from all of you about the influence of African design on the fashion world.
