“MMA NWANYI BU EKIKE”: SYMBOLISM, SIGNIFICANCE OF TEXTILES AND FASHION ACCESSORIES IN IGBO WOMEN’S CONTEMPORARY DRESS CULTURE

Abstract

Igbo (South Eastern Nigeria) dress culture comprises archaic practices in addition to new concepts added either by cultural evolution or outside influence. The formal contemporary clothing for women is generally two pieces of wrappers tied around the waist with a matching blouse and headgear. It also consists of Western-styled clothing sewn with traditional and foreign fabrics accentuated with some accessories that generally enhance the wearers’ appearances. The idiomatic expression in Igbo language which says ‘mma nwanyi buekike’, connotes the outward beauty of a woman based on her dress. Contrary to this, there is another idiomatic expression that says ‘agwa bu mma nwanyi’ which means that character is the beauty of a woman, this emphasizes the character of a woman, the hidden beauty. This study looked at the beauty of a woman based on her dress from the textile and fashion designers’ point of view. Basing this on the fact that at first, the eyes react to what has been placed before them and get attracted; there are accessories the Igbo women use to adorn themselves and complete an outfit in contemporary fashion before an outing. They connote some symbolic meanings and significance and are made of different materials which remain relatively unknown to many; this is the main thrust of this paper. It is qualitative and historical research. It employed the use of interviews, photographs, and participant observation as the research instruments and also hinged on the theories of looking glass self, semiotics, and material culture for analysis. One of the findings is that the Igbo attach some concerns to the way a woman dresses and usually attribute the good dressing to her husband. It concludes by deprecating how most of them are abandoned, forgotten, or substituted with foreign items and recommends that these should be utilized to project the Igbo values and customs with a view that this would aid their sustainability.