Natural Fashion

These photos are pictures I took of the book Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa by Hans Silvester.

internet picture of the book cover.

I first saw it while processing holds at work - the photos were so visually striking they took my breath away. I'd never seen plant material used quite in this way, either - I had to put a hold on it for myself immediately. This was over a year ago (clearly, I have a procrastination problem).

The book is made from photos of the Surma and Mursi people of the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia. It's a fragile moment in time for this region - the old traditions continue (it's one of the few areas of Africa that was never colonized by the Europeans), but the Omo river is slated to be dammed in 2013 and the valley (in southern Ethiopia) is rife with guerilla warfare and in the path of arms traders from Somalia and Sudan.  And then there's this... (from National Geographic Magazine) 

Today the Omo Valley is a destination for wealthy tourists who cross vast, uncomfortable distances to witness those same rituals—vanloads of white faces, most from Europe, hoping for something of the Africa that exists in the Western imagination, all wild animals and face paint and dancing. Tourists say they have come to see the Omo before it becomes like everywhere else, as though a McDonald's might suddenly descend from the sky.

Does posting these pictures of pictures perpetuate the problem?  This has been in the back of my mind. In the end, I believe this to be a representation of astonishingly beautiful artistic expression and a celebration of the people who made it, so here they are: 

I LOVE the bright yellow of the squash blossom diadem, the white dots above the nose, the reverse below, the red bead in her earlobe - so many individual touches.



There's much to love about this, but I think my two favorite parts are the yellow fruit and the straw colored necklace.


These decorations are so ephemeral which makes me love them even more.  I also like that they are crafted by both men and women.



Love the two dots above the lip, the yellow, the smile.



Zinnias are one of my favorites, so of course I love this - but the dots (so many dots!) and those sweet chubby toddler cheeks take it to a whole new level.


Everything. Love her.


I love everything* about this, but especially the yellow/ white circles face paint and the sprays of blossoms that correspond to the painted stars on the body.

*I know these declarations of love are becoming redundant but I can't help it.



The paint! The  I love the bits on her shoulders and on his chest and arms. Once again, I just love everything about it. (the four colors of necklaces he's wearing, the flowers on her head look like some kind of clover, the different ways their faces are painted. Everything.)




I can't even - everything, everything.


best parts: the smile! The purple flowers, the necklaces.


So beautiful -  I just now noticed the star/flower pattern up her cheek and onto her forehead.


You know, I was going to say I liked the purple flower bangs the best, but it might just be the ochre circles on her forehead.



Yellow flower crowns (it looks kind of like my chain of gold tree, although I know it isn't) and those yellow necklaces. I love the photos with more than one person in them - it's posed like all of these are posed, but they're posing together.


It's pretty clear that I love dots in all their forms, but my favorite thing about this picture is his hand on her shoulder. Second favorite thing is the leaf hats - almost a cloche on her, and a beret on him.

It looks like the hardcover edition of this book is out of print, but there is a paperback edition still available.