Re-defining Beauty – perspective from the tribes in the Omo Valley of Ethiopia ===================================== Can beauty be defined by age, gender, color, body shape or size? Who gets to decide? There are a lot of hot-button issues as to how the media and the beauty and fashion worlds depict whole groups of people, why they show them in a particular way or barely notice them at all. Multibillion-dollar beauty and fashion industries both shape and depend on the cult-like worship of what the West portrayed as beautiful. Since the time of slave trade African were told their concept of beauty is inferior to the West. Now most people of African origin sadly saw trying to change how they look by putting lots of unnatural extensions just to get closer to what the West call it ‘Beautiful’. For centuries different African tribes have proudly maintained their extraordinary stunning looks. Held in a remote location, without stylists or designers, the models dont even use mirrors-- as a matter of fact, there is only one designer featured: Mother Nature. This organic parade of texture and color has been a cultural celebration of several tribes in the Omo Valley of Ethiopia for generations, in particular, the Surma and Mursi people. These two tribes have deep-seated roots in ancient traditions and rituals. The tribes continue to pay homage to natures ephemeral resources by adorning themselves in vibrant colors, flowers, pigments and plant parts. German photographer, Hans Silvester, documents the two tribes in his book, Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration From Africa, which has powerful, colorful images of the Omo Valley natural fashion show.
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 13:34:54 +0000
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