Introduction

In addition to a review of the literature on African dress, textiles and fashion, the introductory chapter focuses on the key themes of the book, including concise definitions and discussions of dress and fashion, African “tradition” and cosmopolitanism. The introduction offers an extensive examination of how fashion can be analyzed as an art form, an important explication that has yet to be fully and formally articulated. Additional arguments are made for the importance of highlighting female fashion designers, particularly on the African continent.