The Otjikaiva Conversation

Attire that has been around since the 19th century, the Herero dress has come to be a representation and symbol of the identity of the Ovaherero people.

Kambanda NokokureVeii, a community activist, shared her thoughts on the history of the iconic dress: “There are many myths about the origin of our dress. Some say we copied it from the Germans, others say it is from the Victorian times. I have heard that our Herero women started to wear the dress to protect themselves from being raped by the German settlers. It might also have been due to evolution. We have made it our own regardless of where it originated from.”

While the origins of how the Hereros started wearing this dress may be unclear, it has become a rite of passage for Herero women. “There are rituals to be followed before any Herero girl wears it for the first time. A cow is slaughtered, the girl has to stay inside the house, and an elder will place the otjikaiva on the girl. That is a celebration that the girl has come of age,” said Veii. 
The dress is also a big attraction for tourists who are intrigued by the history and heritage of the Victorian styled garment and its accompanying headdress. Over the years, the dress has evolved and taken on various design variations but the original silhouette has remained unchanged.

While the design of dress is fiercely guarded – especially by elders within the community, young designers have challenged the traditional structure of the dress. Just last week, a social media storm brewed when two fashion influencers – a Namibian fashion designer, Leah Misika, and a South African stylist, Kwena Baloyi – wore the headpiece without the dress, in the process starting a conversation on whether it was appropriate to do so or not.

Some praised the women for being bold in how they wore the headgear while others lashed out.

The Weekender spoke to Mc Bright Kavari, a fierce proponent of modernising and promoting the traditional dress. The young designer is completely in favour of the interpretation of the otjikaiva as seen on Misika and Baloyi.

“For me, as a fashion designer who has been all over the world showcasing my collections, the otjikaiva is nothing but headgear. We accessorise it with the dress and from the designer’s point of view, it’s just headgear,” he said.

He urged people from the Herero community to allow different interpretations of their traditional attire because culture is evolutional.

“I’ll never restrict my mind or narrow my mind as a Herero. Hereros should put their pride down because who is someone else to take away or kill our culture? In fact, someone like Leah Misika is coming from a good point in making sure that Namibians make their fashion popular instead of letting others do it for us.”

“I strongly believe that altering the dress from how it should be worn will eventually make us lose our culture, and our identity,” added Veii.

Another fashion designer, Cynthia Schimming, has a different take. For her, due to experience, the otjikaiva is a sacred part of the Herero traditional attire which she believes should not be interpreted in any other way.

“I once dressed former Miss Namibia, Sheya Shipanga, for Ebony magazine and twisted the horns of the otjikaiva. I was called in by the late chief Kuaima Riruako to explain why I did it. I don’t even know who told them about it, but I was told to apologise and even pay a fine. So this is a very serious issue,” she said.

What about the fact that culture as well as cultural dress have evolved over the years?

“Culture evolves and changes over time so we need to get with the times,” Kavari said.

Schimming however contests that while culture does evolve over time, there are boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed.

“The headgear has evolved from having a boxy shape to now being narrowed with the stick inside. But it’s never worn with pants,” she said.

Misika, in a blog post that came out after the social media storm, explained her reason for wearing the iconic headpiece the way that she did, questioning what she termed the different ways in which she and Baloyi were treated.

“My aim was to raise attention in a wider circle on the Herero people who are my fellow Namibians. While my fashion statement is not about making up other people’s minds, I as a Namibian can at least get the word out there about what I feel is wrong and pay homage to the Herero people, and their tradition. While, in fact, no one has said a word regarding a foreign national taking and marketing the idea of this headdress without referencing its origin and without a care because they do not have to. I will strive as a Namibian to raise awareness that this is a Namibian traditional piece and that is all I aimed to do.”

Baloyi, on the other hand, maintained on her Instagram account that what she did was part of an ongoing fascination she has with how Africans style their hair. While some people called her out for cultural appropriation, she said that she would celebrate African cultures in her own way. “… Namibian queens are touched by how I’m celebrating or created my crown in support and honour of the Hereros who wear it every day because a lot has happened to them as a tribe and I honour that but they think it’s an insult …” she told a Namibian supporter on Instagram.

The conversation still continues on what parts of the Herero dress and its headgear can be altered, how far one can go in altering it and how the otjikaiva can be worn.

But one thing that is clear from all of this is how sensitive communities are about their cultures. Whatever interpretations of it should always be done keeping this in mind.

Strongly condemning what has been happening with the otjikaiva, Veii added: “Why not wear the whole outfit? Instead of promoting the dress, you are promoting what?

“It is something that should be condemned, and not be encouraged at all. We need to protect what is ours, we cannot lose it all to the westerners. And the nonsense being said that it cannot be ours because we got it from the whites is rubbish. We have all adapted to the westerners’ way of dressing. Material that was never African is now used to make traditional attire. Nobody should point fingers.”

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