In many African cultures, wearing a headgear is a common fashion accessory that women use to complete their style. Whether it’s casual or for a special occasion, the head wrap known as gele in Nigeria – is an important fashion accessory.
Showcasing this beautiful African fashion head accessory in a multicultural South African setting, Lauren Fletcher took these beautiful images showcasing the stylish was to wear the African headgear. Themed “Head Dress”, the photos were originally made for South African fashion publication Gaschette Magazine’s “Clan Edition”.
Posting about the African headwrap editorial shoot, the South African photographer, “The theme for the photoshoot was a juxtaposition of elements from Europe, Africa and Asia.”
Speaking about how she came about the idea for the headdress shoot, Laura said “I decided to take an African approach to the idea of “clan”, and use a mixture prints in this shoot, because for me it signifies the relationship between Africa and Europe, and the idea of “clans”. Some African prints actually have European roots; for example, shwe shwe was brought to South Africa by the Germans in the nineteenth century, and Xhosa women appropriated it into their own culture, making it uniquely African. West African wax print also has a similar colonial history and was brought to Africa from Java in Indonesia by Dutch settlers – a great case of “East meets West”, which I think this shoot encapsulates. (This concept draws influence from my earlier Vidi, Vici, Veni fine art series.)”
ALSO SEE: Gele Trendy Head Scarves: Making An Exotic African Royal Statement.
