The brilliant colors and striking variety of the costumes of the Herero people of Namibia have a fascinating and sometimes tragic back story. Their clothing melds the traditions of their former German colonizers with modern flair to make bold and beautiful outfits that represent their modern cultural identity.
The results are stunning horizontal hats reminiscent of cow horns from the Herero’s cattle-herding traditions, and sweeping floor-length gowns sometimes patched together with pieces of vintage fabrics or made of sleek modern textiles.
German rule ended in 1915 when the German army occupying southwest Africa was beaten by South Africa. Once liberated, the Herero men began dressing like their German oppressors. Herero women adopted the styles, airs and graces of the Christian missionary ladies who had come to live among them starting in the 1890s.
The history of the Herero and Namaqua genocide is not well known, and its foundational relationship to Nazism is often dismissed. This history lives in Herero women’s clothing.
Here are just a few images that show the interplay of costume, conflict and tradition in the Herero people of Namibia.
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