The Global Artisan in a Melting Pot of Intersectional Identities: Obasi's Fashion Film "An Alien in Town"

The Global Artisan in a Melting Pot of Intersectional Identities 

Argumentative Essay of the Fashion Film 

An Alien in Town

a Fashion Film by Daniel Obasi

 written by Christina Elgie @x10_LunaLG #christinaelgie

This argumentative essay considers the theme of intersectional identities as the main subject of this study. According to Knudsen (2006), intersectional identities can be defined as “the relationships between socio-cultural categories and identities”. Different aspects of intersectional identities will be characterised by means of drawing from Edelkoort’s (2013), theory of patriotism fetishism by integrating theories of Afropolitanism as explored by Mbembe (2007), the theory of “Stylising the self” by Nuttall (2004), Afrofuturism examined by Kodwo (2003), Dery (1994) and Yaszek (2006); and the theory of Modernity investigating FETISHISM and culture by Böhme (2014). The development of patriotism fetishism in African fashion films is presented through the exploration of binaries between the blend of local and global customs, cultures and beliefs. New ways of negotiating hybridities within this genre will be analysed drawing from Edelkoort’s theory on the Patriotism fetish (Edelkoort, 2013). Various studies have assessed the efficacy of intersectional identities and considerable literature has grown up around the theme of intersectional identities relationships between gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, class and nationality (Knudsen, 2006). The aims in this argumentative essay are twofold: First, the above mentioned theories will form part of the theoretical framework, exploring how fashion can be used to create identity and how identity is a melting pot of a range of local, global, historical, contemporary and future influences, which will be dissected using a fashion case study. Second, the literature analysed in the theoretical framework will be applied to fashion case study. 

Obasi. An Alien in Town 

The patriotism fetish will be objectively and critically dissected using a theoretical framework of published research literature based on Edelkoort’s theory. The patriotic melting pot of clashing customs and tastes including mixed heritage ideas (Edelkoort, 2013), will be explored in the context of the notion of hybridity as creatively expressed in the genre of African fashion films, as the foundation of the case study being examined in this argumentative essay. The fashion film “An Alien in Town” directed by Lagos based Daniel Obasi, is a afro-futuristic fantasy following two bright, young Gidi inhabitants as they discover a blue-skinned alien and decide to teach her the ways of their city. Yaszek (2006) defines Afrofuturism as an artistic method of artists working in various genres and media who shares an interest in creatively projecting black futures derived from Afrodiasporic historical emigrations. This argumentative essay will aim to investigate how patriotism and Afrofutirism in fashion might blend and interact and particularly, how they may contribute to explain the functioning of an important genre such as observed in the visual form of African fashion films. “By creating temporal complications and anachronistic episodes that disturb the linear time of progress, these futurisms adjust the temporal logics that condemned black subjects to prehistory” (Kodwo, 2003:297). 

Edelkoort (2013), presents us with thirteen fetishes. Some of these can be easily recognised in current trends such as patriotism seen in Afro-centric fashion and in trends such as the kaftan, brocade, African printed fabrics, dashiki, kente, wax print and shweshwe (Ketenge, 2020). In the fashion film the African ‘Ankara” trends is identified as the actors wear street style looks by Nigerian designers Tokyo James and Abiola Olusola in Vlisco’s latest Dutch Wax fabrics.  Edelkoort (2013), postulates that in troubled times there is a growing need of belonging and the individual is less concerned with being part of one particular culture. In the African context, the discourse is of individuals with deep and meaningful connections to the continent, while still identifying as citizens of the world. Dery (1994) argues that Afrofuturism is something that is also about connection and belonging which interlaces with Edelkoort’s theory (Edelkoort, 2013). Edelkoort (2013), forecasts that fashion has drawn on multiple fields of influence by creating a “patriotic melting pot” (Edelkoort, 2013), that if interpreted in the abstract, can mean the existence of a multi-layered idea of identity, community, and belonging expanding across various cultures which in turn creates sub cultures. Multiple sites of heritage are evident in the fashion film.   Strong emphasis of the theme of a melting pot of cultures is notable throughout the fashion film as seen how in abstract, the “alien” merge with an unfamiliar world.  

Obasi. An Alien in Town

Factors such as Afropolitanism found to be influencing the patriotism fetish have been explored in several studies as investigated by Mbembe (2007). Transnational communities and diasporas have become useful case studies when considering mainstream conceptions of citizenship as physical location does not necessarily affiliate with salient forms of social, political or economic stance. With the acceleration of globalisation, the idea of identity, community and belonging are structured by connections of many places including various nations and ancestral countries of origin.  Mbembe (2007), explains that there are deep influences in the melting pot of culture, economics and religion. The author links these influences to “track and reveal the paradoxes rooted in macro- and micro processes of transformation of space, power, and subjectivity in a context of fluctuation, mobility, and extreme spatial polarization” (Mbembe, 2007). Mbembe (2007), theory can be linked to Edelkoort’s theory as the similar concepts of hybridity and the need for connection are interconnected (Edelkoort, 2013).

In addition, the significance of new African identities is influenced by certain practice of space in general and of certain ways of imagining the world in particular in the context of patriotism fetishes as Afropolitism has developed beyond rhetoric and discourse into social identity and practice. Moreover, Mbembe (2007) reiterate that few studies have focussed on, the "world" as a category of thought in concepts of African theoretical research. In the context of Afropolitanism, where Mbembe (2007), describes a world where the individual is part of that world rather than being apart of the world, whereas multiple worlds can then be created.  

The relationships is specifically interdependent on one another. In the fashion case study, this theory translates into the filmmaker being Afropolitan. An Afropolitan can be defined by “his/her routes through Africa (be they physical or ideological), more so than roots. The ‘privileges’ (or pre-conditions) that come with being an Afropolitan citizen include the ability to move seamlessly between cultures, places, and allegiances without judgement” (Mbembe, 2007). There is a recognition of the paradox of remoteness and closeness, where the audience can recognise themselves within the unfamiliar (Mbembe, 2007). Within the fashion film “An alien in Town”, there is an interweaving of worlds and this creates a blurring of boundaries which in turn awakens a sense of empathy within the viewer. Mbembe (2007) defines Afropolitanism as empathetic where the viewer can see their own face in a stranger’s which reiterates the theme within the fashion film of “domesticating the unfamiliar” (Mbembe, 2007).  “Having this alien in town shows what it feels like for a stranger discovering the energy of African fashion,” Obasi explains (McClellan, 2018). This translates to the theory where empathy is created as the audience can recognise themselves in the foreigner or in this case the alien, as a threatening familiarity is created. 

Obasi. An Alien in Town

Patriotism is about choice and expansion. “Layered within this notion is a hybrid culture that appeals to young people across the intracultural borders of class, education, and taste. The notion of globalisation which has a direct influence on the mixture of various cultures in Africa, creates a fetish in itself” (Nuttall, 2004).

 

Nuttall (2004), describes the phenomena in the geographic landscape of Johannesburg as a stark contrast of poverty and urban visual forms which embodies the concepts of urban, of race, and the relationship these concepts have in global cultures of circulation. Nuttall’s theory translates to the fashion film, “An Alien in Town”, which uses visual intensity, by introducing the Lagos metropolitan landscape where the alien is introduced to a foreign culture by two Gidi inhabitants by means of them teaching her the ways of their city and their culture. From eating local dishes to visiting a hair salon to becoming a fashion model, their new out-of-this-world friend fits right into this bustling, colourful metropolis. Nuttall (2004), hypothesise that the practice of a new edge of youth movement entails the “fusion of sartorial, visual and textual cultures which yields a dense interconnectivity between them” (Nuttall, 2004). The visuals and symbolism seen in the fashion film “An Alien in Town”, makes dialogue unnecessary, and the narratives (both universal and culturally specific) making the concepts universal which fuse universal ideas together.  

In the context of African fashion films, both Mbembe (2007) and Nuttall (2004) describes elements of intertwining of worlds but with differences in their respectable theories. The fashion film showcases wax prints and street fashion in an “afro-futuristic” landscape of Lagos where the alien is introduced to a new culture or world.  As the alien is unfamiliar with this new world, the two main characters teach the alien how to function within this new world and how to fit in. The Gidi residents and the alien are not from the same background, but a familiarity is created by merging the binaries of remoteness and closeness.   

In contrast to these views, other researchers like Böhme (2014), argues that, although modernisation processes in a cross cultural modern society may provide structural integration, but do not offer anything significant to identify with. “Many people, groups and subcultures have a distanced, utilitarian and correspondingly unstable relationship to modernisation and the fusion of cultures” (Böhme, 2014). The argument put forward here is that while pre-modern customs and societies of myth, magic, cult, religion and festivities begin to disappear in the modern era, the dynamisms and needs of belonging within them do not dissolve entirely as they are saturated in all levels of modern social systems. This can be translated into the fashion film as seen with the alien integrating into a new world. In the fashion film the alien’s need for belonging are integrated by means of being taught pre-modern social customs and beliefs as seen where the two Gidi inhabitants teach the alien how to dress, what to eat, and how to fit into its new surroundings.

When analysing the visuals elements, it can be translated back to the standard theme of intersectional identities as the patriotic melting pot of clashing customs and tastes includes mixed heritage ideas which is evident in the fashion film (Edelkoort, 2013). The alien’s blue skin colour is in stark contrast with the Gidi inhabitants of Lagos presented in the film as seen in Appendix A. Visual binaries are showcased between the fusion of global and local beliefs, customs and cultures, as hybridities are negotiated as a form of intersectional identities. New African identities are influenced by Afropolitism (Mbembe, 2007), as ways of imagining the world, the idea of creating a new identity, community and belonging as heritage and contemporary ideas are merged to create a new way of being. The imagination of creating a new world is evident in the contrast of the wardrobe worn by the unfamiliar alien and the familiar traditional Ankara fashion worn by the natives of Lagos as seen in the fashion film. Familiarity is created through the visuals as the futuristic accessories and wardrobe worn by the alien is merging with the traditional historical Ankara fashions, which in turn creates something new by means of the intersection of the merging of the binaries of remoteness and closeness (Mbembe, 2007), which in turn creates a new identity. Through the fashion showcased in the film, Afrofuturistic elements (Kodwo, 2003), (Dery, 1994), (Yaszek, 2006); are seen in the futuristic accessories worn by the alien as seen in Appendix A, which reiterates Edelkoort (2013), theory of creating a sub-culture through the use of aggressive use of foreign accessories. Dress and the use of accessories plays an important role in African society, and has been known to be utilised as a form of protest. The aggressive details and accessories evident in Appendix A, by means of the alien wearing a “space helmet” and pearls combined with Ankara street fashion, and as seen in Appendix B with the alien adorned with a feather neckpiece and futuristic headgear combined with traditional Ankara wear, creates a fetish and cultivates a modern sub-culture.  Historically, African designs and the way they were worn often made discreet but effective commentary on the colonial establishment (OliveAnkara 2020). Modernised newfound narratives are visually created as a new hybrid sub-culture is created through the wardrobe. Intersectional identity is created through the wardrobe when the alien is introduced to the Gidi fashions, customs and cultures as the alien starts dressing in the Ankara fashions as the film progressed. 

Colour plays an important role when the intersectional identities are merging throughout the narrative of the fashion film. “Colour variations hold incredible meaning depending on the tribes and sub-groups of the culture” (Yizzam, 2018). Colours in African prints have a familiar association with tribes and regions. The filmmaker’s choice of creating a blue skinned alien, can be interpreted as the fusion of worlds, as blue in most African cultures symbolises harmony. The filmmaker achieve colour harmony which reiterates the theme of intersectional identities, as seen in the progression of the narrative where the alien is merged into a new world and becomes part of the metropolis and fuse with the customs, culture and the fashion of the Gidi inhabitants. The alien is merging with the customs and fashions worn by the Gidi inhabitants and becomes emerged within the unfamiliar world by use of illuminating street fashion of Lagos. The choice of applying a rich and vibrant colour palate appeal to viewer’s sense, creating a mood of belonging which in turn provides visual comfort and create a mood that is relevant to the major theme of intersectional identity. Visual collective material gifts of their surroundings are implied to illuminate the fabrics of their country as seen in Appendix C and D, and to illuminate themes of Afrofuturism (Kodwo, 2003), (Dery, 1994), (Yaszek, 2006); in tandem with a relatable setting that can be described as a universal symbol of creating intersectional identities through the use of fashion and the existence of a multi-layered idea of identity. Traditionally, the colours of Ankara fabrics provide information about the wearer’s tribal origin, social standing, age and marital status. “Sepia-ochre is generally accepted across Africa as the colour used to represent earth. Yellow is the colour of initiation in Nigeria, while the combination of yellow/red belongs to the Igbo tribe of south-eastern Nigeria” (OliveAnkara, 2020). 

Symbolic details within the fashion film work in tandem with other elements for endorsing certain meanings within the culture and religion of Nigeria. The blue skinned alien symbolise harmony and represents love and peace. The use of the colour blue also symbolise earth, the sky, and water. The use of the traditional Ankara print designs native to the Gidi region seen throughout the fashion film, convey a metaphor and tell a story, as it adds to the multi-layered combination of futuristic and traditional elements emphasising the sense of belonging and the creation of a new identity and sub-culture (Edelkoort, 2013). As seen in Appendix A and B, the alien wears a combination of traditional Ankara fashion and futuristic accessories which metaphorically emphasise the fusion of the familiar with the unfamiliar creating a new identity. 

"Ankara African print designs fall into four main categories: Women’s lives (family, love, housework), Society and what it brings, good or bad (alphabet, television, money, power), Nature (animals, flowers) and Rhythm (music, drums)” - OliveAnkara (2020)

For this argumentative essay, it was of interest to investigate the notion of patriotism fetishism as a contributor to the standard theme of intersectional identities in African fashion films, as seen in the case study presented. The argumentative essay shows that a fusion of cultures can bring forth a blended world of new familiarity and a sense of belonging on the African continent as Edelkoort’s theory of “the melting pot” (Edelkoort, 2013), can be interlinked here as seen in the fashion film where a new unfamiliarity is created as the alien feels a need for belonging. In conclusion, patriotism fetishism seems to improve the notion of contemporary fusion of Afrofuturism, intersecting technology and history to create new identities within a culture.  Dery (1994), defines Afrofutirism as “speculative fiction that treats African-American themes and addresses African American concerns in the context of 20th-century techno culture and more generally, African-American signification that appropriates images of technology and a prosthetically enhanced future”. The filmmaker uses geography and the collective material gifts of their surroundings to illuminate the fabrics of their country and to illuminate themes of afro-futurism in tandem with a relatable setting that can be described as universal. “An Alien in Town” advocates for Africans to identify with their modernised newfound narratives and pay homage to identifying with a new hybrid culture influenced by both African and global fashion. The African continent is a vibrant player in this context as its inhabitants are ambitious, creative and extremely talented, but with the fragile infrastructure and poverty, government instability and corruption could obstruct the growth of a hybrid culture.  

Reference List:

An Alien in Town.  2017.  Obasi, D.  [Vimeo] Available at: https://vimeo.com/362490453 [Accessed 25 Jun. 2020]. 

Böhme, H.  2014.  Fetishism and Culture.  A Different Theory of Modernity.  De Gruyter, Inc. 

Dery, Mark.  1994.  Flame Wars: The Discourse of Cyberculture.  Durham: Duke. University Press. 

Edelkoort, L. & Fimmano, P.  2013.  Fetishism in fashion.  Edited by Fimmano, P.  Amsterdam: FRAME. 

Ketenge.  2020.  African clothing Trends for 2020.  [Online] Available at:  https://kitengestore. com/african-clothing-trends-2020/ [Accessed 15 Jun. 2020]. 

Knudsen, S, V. 2006. Researchgate. [Online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/252890593_Intersectionality_-_A_Theoretical_Inspiration_in_the_Analysis_of_Minority_Cultures_and_Identities_in_Textbooks Intersectionality - A Theoretical Inspiration in the Analysis of Minority Cultures and Identities in Textbooks [Accessed 2 Nov. 2020].

Kodwo, E.  2003.  Further Considerations on Afrofuturism.  CR: The New Centennial Review.  2003 3(2): 287–302. 

Mbembe, A.  2007.  Afropolitanism.  In Africa Remix: Contemporary Art of a Continent.  Edited by Njami, S.  [Online] Available at:  https://books. google.co.za/books?id=rQbiP0M5tCUC&pg=PA9&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false.  [Accessed 15 Jun. 2020]. 

McClellan, C.  2018.  FASHION FILM “AN ALIEN IN TOWN” BLENDS AFROFUTURISM AND LAGOS APPAREL FOR MULTIMEDIA MASTERPIECE.  [Online] Available at: https://afropunk. com/2018/02/fashion-film-alien-town-blends-afrofuturism-lagos-apparel-multimedia-masterpiece/ [Accessed 16 Jun. 2020]. 

Nuttall, S.  2004.  Stylizing the self: the Y generation in Rosebank, Johannesburg.  Public culture.  2004 16(3): 430-452.  DOI: 10. 1215/08992363-16-3-430. 

OliveAnkara. 2020. Each fabric has a story. [Online] Available at: https://oliveankara.com/pages/ankara-fabrics-stories [Accessed 3 Nov. 2020].

Yaszek, L.  2006.  Afrofuturism, Science Fiction, and the History of the Future.  Socialism and Democracy.  2006 20 (3): 41–60. ISSN 0885-4300 print/ISSN 1745-2635 [Online] DOI: 10. 1080=08854300600950236 # 2006 The Research Group on Socialism and Democracy. 

Yizzam. 2018. African patterns and the meaning behind their symbology. [Online] Available at: https://blog.yizzam.com/african-patterns-meaning-and-symbology/ [Accessed 3 Nov. 2020].

Obiso, D. 2018. An Alien in Town. [Vimeo]. Available at: https://vimeo.com/362490453 [Accessed 16 Jun. 2020].

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Christina Elgie Mmabatho