We Wear Heritage Fashion Show

It's a project organised by CVS Brent and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support Brent organisations to develop and deliver heritage projects locally capturing and preserving stories about traditional textiles, clothing or costume of Brent’s diverse communities and sharing that with the wider community.

Join us for an unforgettable afternoon celebrating Brent's rich cultural tapestry through fashion. "We Wear Heritage" brings together 13 diverse community groups from Brent to showcase traditional textiles, clothing, and costumes that tell the unique stories of their heritage.

Each outfit presented on the catwalk is a piece of history, offering a glimpse into the traditional attire of Afghani, African, Brazilian, Chinese, Caribbean, Goan Indian, Iraqi, Iranian, Mauritian, Romanian, Somali, and Tamil communities. These garments carry each community's stories, traditions, and cultural significance, many of which are not widely known.
It will be an afternoon to remember!

The fashion show is organized by Rafael dos Santos, cultural events producer and director and CEO of Best of Brazil Community, a CIC that produces and promotes Brazilian cultural events. Visit www.bestofbrazil.org for more information.

INDIGENOUS BRAZILIAN FASHION SHOW

From 3 pm to 4 pm, be prepared to be amazed by the most culturally enriched fashion show you've ever seen!

Clothes are designed by Indigenous fashion designers from the Brazilian Amazon Forest. MI Moda Indigena is a cooperative that brings together seven indigenous communities led by fashion designer Seanny Arts and directed by her daughter, Reby Oliveira, from the Munduruku tribe in Brazil.

You will be mesmerised by the creativity, design, fabrics, hand-painted dresses, and much more!

Mi Moda Indigena is the brand of this collective of Indigenous women who are showing the world the culture, heritage, creativity, and strength of the Indigenous people from the Amazon Forest in Brazil.

The show starts at 3 pm, after the We Wear Heritage Show.

3 reasons why you should buy clothes and bio jewellery from Indigenous designers:

When you purchase from Indigenous designers, you're directly contributing to preserving and celebrating their rich cultural heritage. These designers often incorporate traditional techniques, symbols, and stories into their work, ensuring their culture remains vibrant and alive for future generations. Your purchase helps keep these traditions thriving and respected.

Buying from Indigenous designers helps support their economic independence. Many Indigenous communities face financial challenges, and by choosing their products, you're investing in their growth and sustainability. This empowerment allows designers and artisans to create more opportunities within their communities, leading to improved livelihoods and more robust community bonds.

Indigenous designers offer unique, handcrafted, and ethically made products that stand out in fashion. These pieces are often made with care, using sustainable materials and practices. By choosing their products, you're not only wearing something beautiful and meaningful but also making a conscious choice to support ethical and sustainable fashion.

COMMUNITIES TAKING PART IN THE WE WEAR HERITAGE PROJECT:

Project: A Tapestry of Culture: Unravelling The Threads of African Fabric

The project aims to preserve the heritage of the African fabric by engaging young people and the wider community and involving a more diverse range of people in the process and outcome. Kojo Baiden will organise collaborative workshops with others. Organisations, particularly those from underrepresented communities.
Our heritage project aims to explore the vibrant history, artistry, and cultural significance of African fabric. We intend to celebrate and preserve this integral part of the African diaspora through meticulous research, engaging exhibitions, and community involvement.

Project: Exhibition of clothing, textiles, and fabrics representing different regions of Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s traditional clothing is distinguished by its unique designs and colours. Womenswear is often adorned with handmade embroidery on the body and sleeves. The combination of vibrant colours, made famous during the 1960s, highlights garment makers' creative expression and know-how. The project will gather first-hand accounts from seamstresses and tailors of traditional Afghan garments.

Project: Evolution of Brazilian Indigenous Outfits

Events Producer and university lecturer Rafael dos Santos, in collaboration with Indigenous fashion designer Seanny Arts, created a collection of seven outfits showing the evolution of fashion from 1500 to 2000. The fabrics used to make the outfits are natural materials found in the Amazon, including bark trees, palm leaves, paint from jenipapo fruit, and fish scales. The Mundurucu tribe wears the outfits. They will impress the audience and show this Brazilian Indigenous community's creativity, history, and rich culture.

Project: We Wear Heritage - Chinese Take Away Message

Traditional Chinese clothes involve rediscovering their origins, designs, symbolism, and accessories. These include the Chenongsam and Hanfu for women and the Tang suit for men. These costumes have adapted and evolved over the generations. They are commonly worn on special occasions, such as festivals, births, wedding ceremonies, and funerals. This project shows the influence of traditional Chinese clothing on neighbouring Asian countries, such as Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

Project: Made in Brent

Higher Potential presents clothing from the 1970s/80s era when rap, hip-hop, reggae, and soul-funk music genres influenced a generation. Caribbean young people’s clothing style was dependent on the music. They wore tributes, Beaver Hats, tailored suits, and tonic suits, creating trends that contributed to broader youth culture.

Project: The WOB Dwiyet - Connecting with our Past - Creating Our Future

Caribbean creole style is rooted in a blend of English, French and African traditions. Created by women of colour during the 18th century it is an eye-catching, cultural expression of Caribbean resilience. Madras fabric plays a significant role in the development of heritage wear, teamed with broderie anglaise and ribbons it reflects the colonial history and the creativity of the Caribbean people. This collection will present the Wob Dwiyet, an elegant gown created and still worn today as a symbol of stature, popular in the French creole speaking islands and the Jip outfit, a less formal alternative for the wearer.

Project: Goan Heritage and Cultural Event

Community Stars UK CIC shares Goan traditional clothing, a rich tapestry of cultural influences resulting from its unique position on the western coast of India. The traditional attire blends indigenous traditions and Portuguese colonial influence. The project connects the costumes worn with specific cultural events of significance within the Goan community. Moreover, some Goan costumes relate to specific performances involving music and dance.

Project: Arabic & Iraqi Folklore Clothing

Iraqi Welfare Association promotes folklore clothing and costumes to represent the area’s ancient cultures and beliefs and facilitate communication between different communities worldwide. They plan to organise heritage festivals to bring diverse communities together.

Project: Iranian Traditional Regional Garb

Regional climates shape traditional Iranian women’s attire. This project explores outfits from the different regions of Iran. For example, in Northern Iran, lush green lands with colours and patterns are reflected in the region's clothing. In the coastal areas, traditional clothing reflects the colours and patterns of water and marine life. In contrast, people living in areas with hotter climates wear lighter, more breathable garments as influenced by the weather conditions. We will celebrate the Festival of Mehregan, which will celebrate the beginning of the autumn harvest in September/October. Storytelling will feature where women share their stories from the regions and craftsmanship.

Project: Threads of Tradition: Romanian Heritage Clothing

My Romania Community presents traditional clothing from different parts of Romania. This project examines Romanian garments' unique characteristics and cultural significance, highlighting craftsmanship and symbolism. There’s also a royal connection between the UK and Romania through Queen Marie of Romania. They aim to foster intergenerational learning, a sense of representation and belonging, and the importance of cultural exchange.

Project: Exploring Hido iyo Dhaqan.

Reviving Links CIC is preserving Somali traditional textiles and clothing. This project focuses on intergenerational learning with Brent schoolchildren, who interview elders about the garments, the meaning of the intricate designs, cultural significance, and historical narratives. They plan to show how various influences have shaped these traditional garments over the centuries and how these garments can enable us to tell stories facilitating cross-cultural exchanges.

Project: Tamil Heritage Records

Tamil Association of Brent is creating records of traditional clothing using photography and video. Oral histories are being collected from Tamil elders and dubbed and subtitled in English. The transcriptions will produce an electronic book incorporating the photographs people share. The project will also film a Tamil wedding, providing commentary on the rituals and how they have changed over the years. These records will act as a reference for future generations.

Event Details:

? Date: 16th September 2024
? Time: arrivals from 1pm, show starts at 2 pm and finishes at 4 pm
? Location: St Mary's Church in Marylebone

Be part of this vibrant celebration and discover the beauty and history woven into the fabrics of Brent's diverse communities. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness our community's heritage come alive on the catwalk!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

St Mary's Marylebone (Venue Hire), Wyndham Place, London, United Kingdom