Masks are incredibly fascinating objects: among my favourite personal memories involving masks there are research trips to Venice outside the Carnival season during which I often met tourists wearing masks walking around the "calli" or enjoying a gondola tour, as if going around hiding behind a mask in the middle of the summer or winter, were the most natural thing to do.
I guess the change of identity, the aura of mystery that falls upon the wearer is the main reasons that turns masks into irresistible and desirable temptations for most of us.
One of the best books ever written about masks remains Claude Lévi-Strauss’s La Voie des Masques (The Way of the Masks).
The latter tries to demonstrate how masks cannot be interpreted as separate objects, but should be seen as associated to the myths they represent.
The author explored in the volume the myths behind masks, touching upon topics such as the uneasiness and disturbance that certain masks caused him, analysing the differences, meanings, semantic functions and characteristics of the Swaihwe and Dzonokwa masks.
The attributes of these masks are particularly fascinating: the Swaihwe mask is white, with protruding eyes and a lolling tongue and is topped by feathers; the Dzonokwa mask is instead black, has sunken eyes and protuberant lips but no tongue and is trimmed with fur.
The symbolic and ritual use of masks that fascinates so much anthropologists, assumes in fashion new meanings connected with themes such as transformation, disguises and incantations.
It’s not so rare to see models wearing masks both on the runways and in photoshoots: stylists often use masks as accessories to complement a look or turn a model into a mysterious presence.
This means that very often the anthropological meaning of masks is somehow forgotten in fashion, obliterated by more commercial purposes or simply by stylistic choices.
Yet in Bunmi Koko’s Autumn/Winter 2010 collection, recently presented at Africa Fashion Week, where the label was nominated "Emerging Designer of the Year 2010" in the international category, masks were once again endowed with a mythical power in celebration of female empowerment and domination.
Entitled “Matriarchy”, the collection created by this Nigerian fashion label led by Creative Director Bunmi Olaye, a graduate of the University of East London, and partner Francis Udom, was inspired by the Ekpe (Igbo and Egbo) masquerades.
Since they refer to a men’s cult, Olaye reinterpreted them from a woman’s point of view, using black feathered masks to emulate the masks used in the traditional "Mmanwu" or masquerades of the
Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria, acted out by exclusive secret
societies consisting only of adult male members wearing masks known as as "Mmuo", to hide their identity from the rest of the village and
resemble the spirit of a dead community member.
In the Igbo masquerades, the mask gives to its
wearer special spiritual powers and Olaye used feathered masks and headdresses, traditional pom-poms, beads, rayon raffia, bells and ritual sticks as means to represent female empowerment.
Further cultural contrasts were created by tailored silhouettes: the sharp shoulders and sleeves called to mind the shapes of Victorian dress (the designer also developed innovative longitudinal fabric structures to create some of her designs) and were borrowed from the attire of Scottish Mary "Ma" Slessor, a missionary who lived in Calabar (present day Nigeria) for nearly forty years.
In some ways the collection with its strong shades of red and ochre (evoking in this case also the colour of leopard skin), echoed Alexander McQueen's prints and strong silhouettes (Olaye actually worked at McQueen's), while the theme of empowerment seemed to be somehow connected with McQueen's Autumn-Winter 1996-97 collection, entitled "It's a Jungle Out There".
In the latter McQueen moved from the vulnerable Thompson's Gazelle used as a symbol for the cruel nature of the urban jungle we live in, but also featured in his show models wearing jackets with pointed shoulders from which gazelle horns protruded, hinting at the power of a deadly powerful femme fatale who turned from prey and victim into predator.
Looking at fashion from an anthropological point of view can be intriguing and can lead to discover new semantic signifiers behind the clothes and accessories featured in a specific collection.
I just hope that in future there will be more collections exploring the connections with anthropological themes.
One good idea to come up with some interesting inspirations connected with anthropology is definitely re-reading some Lévi-Strauss, but if you plan to go to Paris for your holidays, try seeing the Lévi Strauss collection at the Musée du Quai Branly.
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