Dr Victoria Rovine, Art History, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill: “Africa, Fashion Design and Colonial History: The Surprising Power of Clothing”
An Associate Professor of Art History at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Dr Victoria Rovine conducted this presentation at the West African Research Center on Wednesday, June 7, 2017. The session was moderated by a young Senegalese filmmaker and design specialist, Mrs Fatou Kande Senghor. Fatou Kande has been working on style and design and integrates various components in her films. As it turns out, Kande’s teachings are based on the many articles and books written by Professor Rovine that she has read over the years. The two women discovered this hidden and unknown connection while sitting and discussing during and after the presentation.
left to right: Fatou Kandé Senghor and Dr Rovine
Dr Rovine’s presentation and research publications generated a high level of interest among attendees because of the importance of dress in Senegal and West Africa as a whole. It is a particularly intriguing topic because of the colonial origins of a number of materials (wax, fancy) regularly worn by Senegalese and other West African women and so expertly acclimated to the point of passing as local production.
The presentation was followed by lively and insightful conversations between the UNC Chapel Hill faculty member and the audience.
A partial view of the audience
