“The bogolan fabric is literally composed of the earth, forests, rivers and sun of Mali”. – Kandiora Coulibaly, Groupe Bogolan Kasobané
It is from Burkina Faso, particularly from the hands of the artisans of Gie Cabes, that the fabric with which Bogo is made comes. As Kandiora Coulibaly said, the Bogolan is entirely created using clay, earth, leaves and water.
I decided to choose that centuries-old tradition to tell about the magic of the “Africa Blues”. Local artists still pass on to the new generations their textile traditions “completing the work done by God”, as the people of Mali say. Traditional fabrics are made with locally grown cotton, then passing through dyeing, obtained by immersing the sewn fabric in a preparation of boiled leaves. Once left to dry in the sun, they move on to the decorative phase. Here the artist create traditional symbols with mud, retracing centuries of Burkinabè culture. It is left to dry and then the operation is repeated until the fabric reaches that rich and defined color.
Those symbols served to control Nyama, the energy that animates the universe, whose strength gave protection to those who wore Bogolan fabrics.
Thanks to the partnership between Cabes Gie and the Ethical Fashion Initiative, it is possible to create a direct connection with the artisans of Burkina Faso, promoting and supporting African textile art and promoting a production that is entirely responsible and controlled from an environmental and social point of view.
