SWAZI SISTERS INTEGRATE TAIWAN INDIGENOUS AND AFRICAN CULTURE IN DESIGN|史瓦濟蘭姐妹玩創意 跨文化時裝風格獨具

Today we want to introduce you to Dumile and her sister Tivamile. They moved from Swaziland to Taiwan with their father, who was a diplomat at the time. The sisters fell in love with this island and have spent the past 16 years here. While trying to complete her thesis for her design master, Dumile had a chance to collaborate with children from the indigenous tribes in Taitung which eventually led her to design a full clothing collection and develop her own fashion brand here. Featuring colorful textiles with traditional totems, even these bamboo hats are high fashion. Both African and Asian cultures are vibrantly represented in each of these designs. The Dlamini sisters debuted their full collection at African Fashion Week in London. Dumile and Tivamile are originally from Swaziland, but as their father is a diplomat, they moved to Taiwan with him when they were just teenagers and have lived here for the past 16 years. ==DUMILE DLAMINI Swaziland Designer== I came to Taiwan because my father is a diplomat. Because of my father's job, I got to know many Taiwanese people. I worked at a textile company for 6 years, and when I saw someone drafting patterns, I realized that's something I should be learning. Dumile was first introduced to an indigenous tribe in Taitung when she was conducting a research project for her design master's thesis, which ultimately led to the success of her fashion label. ==DUMILE DLAMINI Swaziland Designer== For the Amis tribe, they believe that singing represents their culture. So I asked them to use illustration and art to help me understand the lyrics. Dumile integrated indigenous children's drawings into her latest collection and turned them into printed totems. There's a story behind each piece of clothing. ==DUMILE DLAMINI Swaziland Designer== These are small houses and tiny roads. "Tomiyac" means "slippery'' in their language. The song goes, when you come to our village, you will have a good time. And then you will slip, and afterwards people would ask where did you fall or slip? You'll tell them, Tomiyac. Surprisingly, Dumile found a lot in common with her African origins and Taiwanese indigenous tribes. The concept of cross cultural collaboration allowed her to work with the tribe, and she vows to give back to the indigenous community as she continues her journey. ==DUMILE DLAMINI Swaziland Designer== We want to have a summer camp for the indigenous tribe. A summer camp for them to be able to learn English. In Africa, we want to provide books to my father's elementary school. They don't have any books there, not even one. Even though Dumile's parents have moved back to Swaziland, the sisters decided to stay and continue to build their career here in Taiwan. Instead of becoming diplomats like their father, they wish to serve as cultural ambassadors to promote cross cultural understanding while showcasing the beauty of the two nations. TRANSLATED BY：STELLA TU