Revellers celebrate Tanzanian heritage through Maasai Magic

By Karen Chalamilla

In a departure from the traditional runway show, the collaboration between Noor Tribe and Museum Art Explosion, titled ‘Maasai Magic: Embracing African Heritage’, took on a new form as a fashion exhibition.

On Friday, August 25, this unique event unfolded at the National Museum and House of Culture, capturing the attention of fashion and art enthusiasts as well as esteemed dignitaries, including the Italian Ambassador to Tanzania, Marco Lombardi, the Director of the National Museum, Adelaide Salema, and Hannah Mwakalinga from BASATA, among many others.

While models still graced the scene, elegantly showcasing Maasai-inspired fashion adorned with vibrant accessories and striking makeup, the true highlight of the exhibition was the collection itself, displayed on mannequins and adorning the gallery walls.

Guia Martinotti, the founder and designer, ingeniously blended elements of Maasai wear with her contemporary fashion sensibilities. Her collection featured a fusion of feminine silhouettes with industrial features like metals, as well as modest cuts with sensual elements such as layered sheer materials and shimmery beadwork.

The Maasai tribe, known for its distinct culture and sense of community, has often been featured in branding by fashion companies. This shared cultural heritage prompted the launch of the Maasai Intellectual Property Initiative, which encourages global brands to seek certification or licencing when using Maasai cultural elements.

Yet the challenge lies in creating a Maasai-inspired collection that feels fresh and unique. While Martinotti's exhibition may not fully meet this brief in terms of aesthetics, it excels in its purpose-driven approach.

Martinotti explains, "My company has three main values: heritage, upcycling, and recycling, and all of these are achieved by working with and giving back to the community."

She emphasises that all materials used are locally sourced, and the artisans she collaborates with are Tanzanian tailors and craftsmen.

"I have been working with one of my tailors for two years, and he now has his own store, so it feels like we are growing up together," she shares.

An essential aspect of the Maasai Magic exhibition was its inclusion in the Museum Art Explosion programme at the National Museum and House of Culture. This initiative provides visual and performing artists with a platform to showcase their work and promote Tanzanian arts and culture.

The programme was created to address the challenges artists faced in finding suitable and affordable venues to display their work.

Hosting Martinotti's collection in this setting not only makes it more accessible to a diverse audience of art and fashion enthusiasts but also reinforces the significance of heritage.

This was indeed the highlight of the exhibition for me as a first-time attendee of a fashion show in Tanzania. As fashion worlds tend to thrive in exclusivity, the accessibility resulting from hosting the event at the National Museum made for a surprisingly refreshing mix of people gathered.

To conclude the exhibition, Tanzanite World Auction hosted a painting auction with the aim of raising Sh25 million for a special museum-run project called ‘Utanzania Wetu, Utamaduni Wetu’.

This project employs an education-through-art approach, utilising visual and performance art workshops to raise awareness of social issues affecting young girls and women.

Edgar Chatanga, coordinator at the National Museum and House of Culture, highlights the effectiveness of art as an educational tool.

He says, "We found that art is a much more effective way to educate because people are entertained, sure, but they also get the message. Giving them your flier and preaching for a few hours just doesn't work."

In addition to art workshops, the programme provides private centres where young girls can report, share, or seek help on any matter they may not feel comfortable sharing with adults.

Reflecting on ending the exhibition with an auction, Martinotti notes, "People here are open to paying to attend regular fashion shows, so why not have them pay for something different... And hopefully, because we have a good guest list, they will contribute to raising the funds."

On what more she hopes guests will get out of the exhibition, she’s confident that people will enjoy a different way of networking and engaging with art and fashion.

She emphasises her personal connection to the project: "I don't want to appropriate heritage, but as a Mzungu, I feel that some of the Maasai-inspired clothing and accessories align with my style, and I want to be able to wear them... Sometimes it's hard to find the things I want to wear, so I decided to learn how to make them."

Martinotti's journey has taken her from the Tanzania Fashion Festival to Swahili Fashion Week, and now she collaborates with the National Museum on her own events.

Whether people actually liked the clothes or not became irrelevant; the space that the exhibition fostered for people from all corners of the city to freely engage in ideas about art was by far the most gratifying part of the night.