Tribal Hair Inspiration- Traditional and High Fashion Styles

This post will concentrate on resourcing images of both traditional tribal hairstyles and decorations as well as high fashion interpretations. From doing this, I aim to source popular and significant styles, shapes, materials and applications used to create a tribal hairstyle...

The above images display different forms of hair styling across different tribes. 

Image 1 depicts a woman from the Himba tribe in Namibia. This is a traditional style that is constructed using goat hair, ground red rock, mud and butter. The ground rock, mud and butter are mixed together to a perfect consistency and rolled into dreads then attached to the hair. Goat hair is used a decoration at the bottom of the dread.  

Image 2 shows two young girls from the Kara tribe in Ethiopia. This tribe forms hair into a head band of dreads, which are layed across the head. 

Image 3 depicts a woman from the Kolcho tribe, also in Ethiopia. This is a traditional hairstyle worn by most women of this specific tribe. Small, thin dreads are formed into a short bob hairstyle with a fringe using clay.

Image 4 displays a male from the Himba tribe also. While the women use red rock and mud to create smooth dreads, young men form their hair into plaits using mud and butter. The plaits cover the face. When men from the Himba tribe marry, they wear turbans. 

Image 5 depicts a woman from the Banna tribe in Ethiopia. This tribe is very colourful and vibrant. Both men and women plait their hair and cover sections with brightly coloured hair clips, even worn over the face. 

Image 6 displays a women from the Mursi tribe in Ethiopia. Along with short shaved heads, women keep sections of their hair longer and decorate it with beads. 

After analysing different traditional tribal hairstyles, there are some elements I would like to incorporate into my final design. For example, I love use of earthy red colours used in the hair created from clay and red rock, as well as the use of goat hair. I will now look at modern and high fashion interpretations of tribal hairstyles...

Images 1-5: Vogue Italia 2005, Vogue India 2012 (x2), Australian Vogue 2014, German Vogue.

Whilst researching high fashion interpretations of tribal hair, I noticed that plaits/ braiding is used widely to translate a tribal feel. The plaits are usually formed into elaborate shapes (images 6 and 8). I think this well structured hair style portrays an aggressive and warrior style associated with the word 'tribal', while incorporating different materials such as feathers is representative of the natural forms collated into hair in traditional tribes. I am definitely interested in adding different materials and texture into the hair and think a plait will probably be the best way to do this. I am now going to design a variation of hairstyles influenced by both traditional and modern interpretations of tribal hair...

References

Traditional tribal hair mood moard

Image 1- I.dailymail.co.uk, (2015). [online] Available at: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/18/article-2607647-1D2A56E800000578-861_964x671.jpg [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

Image 2- Lusakavoice.tv, (2015). [online] Available at: http://lusakavoice.tv/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Dread-headband-These-young-girls-from-the-Ethiopian-Kara-tribe-laid-dreads-across-the-top-of-their-heads-halfway-back-giving-the-illusion-of-a-permanent-headband-which-makes-their-facial-features-really-pop.--428x285.jpg [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

Image 3- Lusakavoice.tv, (2015). [online] Available at: http://lusakavoice.tv/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Braided-bob-If-a-bob-cut-plus-bangs-isn%E2%80%99t-the-cutest-combination-in-the-world-when-you-do-the-whole-thing-in-braids-it-looks-somehow-edgy-and-youthful-at-the-same-time-and-we-love-it.-This-woman-is-from-the-Kolcho-tribe-in-Ethiopia--428x360.jpg [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

Image 4- Magazine.africageographic.com, (2015). [online] Available at: http://magazine.africageographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Himba-women-namibia-alegra-ally-5.jpg [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

Image 5- Media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com, (2015). [online] Available at: http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f7/0b/3c/f70b3c869d844806c1fa401d1cc4c7ec.jpg [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

Image 6- Images.inmagine.com, (2015). [online] Available at: http://images.inmagine.com/400nwm/iris/imagebrokerrm-242/ptg01315756.jpg [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

Info- Mail Online, (2014). Himba tribe hairdos created using goat hair and MUD. [online] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2607647/Incredible-photos-reveal-elaborate-hairdos-Himba-tribe-created-using-goat-hair-MUD.html [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

Info- Lusaka Voice, (2014). 10 of many traditional African hairstyles from tribal women – afkinsider. [online] Available at: http://lusakavoice.com/2014/05/30/10-of-many-traditional-african-hairstyles-from-tribal-women-afkinsider/ [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

High fashion hair mood board

Image 1- Encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com, (2015). [online] Available at: https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSMcSPxSQcS9ZH_N2GNA9RFyCdc7JFm_yhptkmXnWBzJY_MWazwUg [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

Image 2- 2.bp.blogspot.com, (2015). [online] Available at: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYqU5PSVMImVwO54M3klGBeUqpw95GrbVmifdyu584sZS94sJUytcou2pAX3K7bI_PiJvyuYGFefUIUGZLz7XFPaRWVYov0rJooiWuXMhhz-suuqvEsX6hX929sIJUmWfx77qO_7Ba-98/s1600/vogue-india-march-2012-wild-fashion-2.jpg [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

Image 3- Stylemeindia.com, (2015). [online] Available at: http://www.stylemeindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Preeti-Dhata-and-Ninja-Singh-for-Vogue-India-March-2012-9.jpg [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

Image 4- Line-mag.com, (2015). [online] Available at: http://line-mag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/vogue-australia-2014-04-apr-181.jpg [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

Image 5- 2.bp.blogspot.com, (2015). [online] Available at: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xDQdUJ1xkgrH5ZL3C2DoLymwP_FdY-OfLjhSEvG3JgqhIM0dCy-A3s3CLJ2yEAmaMpO2uWjfGyrYSpa_zYBfltGwjEv7ArBxp3-M071yv23oQviaahqNDajzsFdiZHGotqzDOeQm68I/s1600/tumblr_l40ohsXvzh1qb6ud6o1_r1_500.jpg [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

Image 6- Stylemeromy.com, (2015). [online] Available at: http://stylemeromy.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/IMG_2501.jpg [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

Image 7- 4hairgain.com, (2015). [online] Available at: http://www.4hairgain.com/4HAIRGAIN/2011/12/TRIBAL-fashion-3.jpg [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].

Image 8- Stylemeromy.com, (2015). [online] Available at: http://stylemeromy.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/IMG_2504.jpg [Accessed 17 Apr. 2015].