HIDDEN GEMS OF

KENYADani Wagner and Dara Jones

9 December 2009

The Maasai of Kenya

• The Maasai people are located in North Central Tanzania and in Southern Kenya

• Their population is about 350,000. They speak OlMaa (Nilotic). (“Maasai Information”1998)

• They are semi-nomadic people that live according to a communal land management system.They live independent from the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments. They have demanded grazing rights. (“The Maasai People” 2007)

• Cattle is essential to the Maasai way of life– It is the center of their economy. It holds value and is used as a

means of exchange and amount of cattle one owns determines their amount of wealth.

• They believe that no one should be denied food, water, and natural resources. They have gotten into trouble for ignoring international boundaries when following there seasonal rotations for grazing (“Maasai Information”1998)

http://www.susansipprelle.com/blog/media/2009/01/kenya-map11.gif

Maasai Dress• “Maasai clothing varies by age, sex, and place. Traditionally, shepherds wore capes made from calf hides, and women wore capes of sheepskin. The Maasai decorated these capes with glass beads. In the 1960s, the Maasai began to replace animal-skin with commercial cotton cloth. Women tied lengths of this cloth around their shoulders as capes (shuka) or around the waist as a skirt” (Rank) • The Maasai color of preference is red, although black, blue, striped, and checkered cloth are also worn, as are multicolored African designs. Elderly women still prefer red and dye their own cloth with ochre (a natural pigment). Until recently, men and women wore sandals made from cowhides; nowadays sandals and shoes are generally made of tire strips or plastic” (Rank).• One could say that accessories are also a big part of the Maasai culture.

- They are master jewelers, crafting large dislike necklaces, bracelets, and headbands.

•They cut, pierce, and tattoo their bodies as well.

Inspiration•Maasai beadwork

- Their jewelry is an art and a distinct part of Maasai culture- The large collar necklaces, traditionalwedding necklaces, bracelets, and earrings

•Maasai textiles- Red is the tribes signature color (Rank)- Plaids and bold patterns with bright colors- “Women and girls wear elaborate bib-like bead necklaces, as well as headbands and earrings, which are colorful and intricate” (Rank).

•Kenyan wildlife• The exotic prints of native animals such as giraffes and zebras

Target Market•Young free-spirited women who are inspired by the African tribal dress•Sophisticated style, but not afraid to experiment with color, accessories, and fabric patterns•Likes simple draped silhouettes with bold accents•Bright colored fabrics and African patterns• Enjoys ethnic influences in jewelry and likes to layer bold chunky pieces

Maasai Dress In Modern Culture

In this photograph it shows members of the Maasai tribe meeting Clinton in Nairobi. (Meter 2009)

This image is of John Gallianosfirst haute couture collection for Dior in 1997. Influenced by the Maasai culture. (Galliano 1997)

Our Collection

References

Adamson, J. (1967). The Peoples of Kenya. New York, NY: Harcourt, Brace, World, Inc..

Finke, J. (2003). Maasai-Introduction. Retrieved December 1, 2009, from Bluegecko.org:

http://www.bluegecko.org/kenya/tribes/maasai/

Luke-Boone, R. (2001). African Fabrics: Sewing with an African Flare. Iola, WI: Krause

Publications.

Meter, J. V. (2009, December). Her Brilliant Career. Vogue, 246-257.

(n.d.). John Galliano. Retrieved December 1, 2009, from Design Museum:

http://designmuseum.org/design/john-galliano

(n.d.). The Art of African Fashion . (1998). Trenton, NJ: African World Press.

(n.d.). The Maasai People. Retrieved December 1, 2009, from Maasai Association:

http://www.maasai-association.org/maasai.html

(n.d.). (1998, November 3). Maasai Information. Retrieved December 1, 2009, from

University

of Iowa: http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Maasai.html

Rank, J. (n.d.). Countries and Their Cultures. Retrieved December 1, 2009, from :

http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Tajikistan-to-Zimbabwe/Maasai.html

References (Images)Slide 1: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0JsiENIiIno/SjD0vH8kuOI/AAAAAAAAA50/3AUmAZ7MWPQ/s80

0/masai+necklace.jpg Slide 2: http://www.culturequest.us/maasaitribe/rituals_files/MasaiWomen.jpgSlide3: http://www.susansipprelle.com/blog/media/2009/01/kenya-map11.gifSlide 5: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/68/201775729_40985ccfa2.jpgSlide 6: http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/two-maasai-women-

dscn0224.jpg http://www.kenya-advisor.com/images/masai-warrior-clothing-250x250.jpg http://dmetts2.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/maasai-bride1.jpg http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YHd9CmoXRwI/SMfRsgiiTiI/AAAAAAAAAWc/GL2xsvrb5h0/s400

/pretty_masai_girl.jpg http://abinitioadinfinitum.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/masai-nr-lekerruki2.jpgSlide 7: http://lh4.ggpht.com/_zDFfpt1CcWU/R-

VX3bF5uyI/AAAAAAAAA54/JQrOGHHdNfg/Kangas.JPG http://farm1.static.flickr.com/148/396674873_b08f2eda86.jpg http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.travel-pictures-

gallery.net/kenya/pics/naivasha/thumbs/naivasha-0007.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.travel-pictures-gallery.net/kenya/naivasha-main-1.html&usg=__3lnXhMep8gvwVxMscxQ968vHeRE=&h=99&w=150&sz=6&hl=en&

http://www.travel-pictures-gallery.net/kenya/naivasha-main-1.html Slide 8: http://www.jamriskaphotos.com/images/666_Zebras.jpg http://elgatsafaris.com/images/lion2.jpg http://www.dreamsofafricasafaris.co.ke/African-ElephantsTanzania.jpg http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/02_01/CheetahsMOS_468x387.jpg http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/2006_Articles/plodin/giraffes.jpg

Slide 9: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1334/732086876_b644b7e494.jpg?v=0 http://www.africabydesignimports.com/maceje.html http://www.propoortourism-kenya.org/african_jewelry.htm http://www.propoortourism-kenya.org/african_jewelry.htm http://www.culturequest.us/maasaitribe/jewelry_files/womanwithbeadednecklace.gif http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0JsiENIiIno/SjD0vQ6Ba9I/AAAAAAAAA58/JDo20aBk_ik/s800/ma

sai+necklace2.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/1/1e/20080327090929!Masai_womanj

pgSlide 11: Meter, J. V. (2009, December). Her Brilliant Career. Vogue, 246-257. (n.d.). John Galliano. Retrieved December 1, 2009, from Design Museum:

http://designmuseum.org/design/john-gallianoSlide 12: http://engl243.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/masai-market1.jpg