Appreciative inquiry into aspects of the Basotho culture to develop innovative fashion

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to revive Basotho fashion by using appreciative inquiry to probe aspects of Basotho culture at a deeper level than that of the stereotypical Basotho motifs previously used, namely, the Seshoeshoe fabric, the Seanamarena blanket and the Mokorotlo hat. Instead, the aspects of Basotho culture involved were Litsoejane (women initiates), Litema (motifs/geometric patterns) and Balisana (shepherds), which were used as design probes to create a fashion collection showcasing examples of the innovative fashion items arising from the project. This study was framed by theories of Decolonisation and Afrofuturism in order to assist students to transform Basotho fashion by stretching, re-imagining and re-creating a renewed cultural fashion identity in the context of Lesotho. The research was exploratory and participatory in that the design process was a collaboration between the researcher/lecturer and a group of fashion students registered at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Lesotho Campus, in the Faculty of Design Innovation. The research was qualitative in nature and was approached through the mode of Participatory Action Research (PAR) and the 5 D Cycle of Appreciative Inquiry (AI). The 5-D Cycle was adapted further to guide the development of the participatory project by categorising it into three phases of PAR. Phase 1 focused on the inquiry, whereby the researcher/lecturer inquired about background knowledge of students on aspects of the selected three design probes and shared information gathered with students. Phase 2 focused on the development of the project, namely, design, pattern drafting and garment construction. Phase 3 was based on the presentation of the outcome of the project and was rounded off by showcasing the collection and final reflection on the entire process. Participants comprised two community elders who were indigenously knowledgeable and a group of Fashion students. The community elders, who were keepers of Basotho tradition and cultural knowledge, were questioned through structured interviews, while students were questioned through semi-structured focus groups. The garments created by the students were then showcased to the Limkokwing community. The value of the research is thought to lie in decolonising the Fashion curriculum by using motifs gleaned from the cultural heritage of the Basotho people to arrive at an innovative cultural fashion identity