The May Issue - 'Dera Edition'

THE

M AY ISSUE

Dera Edition

AS I SEE IT

bucci photography Featuring: Michelle Adhiambo, Joan Nyakeru, @winnie_wamaitha, @_i.v.o.n @_.karimi.anie._ Director @_bucci_photography Editor @bigpatoarts Cover Image Winnie Wamaitha and Ann Karimi

I have three words for you, SIMPLE, COLORFUL, GLITZY. Well the last one depends on the design really. What am I talking about? ‘DERAS’. You know, very popular with Muslim women and girls and also those along the coast?

Yes, I think you get the picture now.

I spoke to a friend, Al-amin Abdalla, who up until recently had been sewing them at Marikiti market in Mombasa.

He told me that Deras are originally from Somalia and that they were supposed to be a mode of dressing for the Somali Muslim women to wear. This was and is because Muslim women aren’t supposed to wear tight clothes.

This mode of dressing was later adopted in Djibouti and then later in the coastal regions of Kenya and Tanzania by embedding it in their culture. Originally, they were made of cotton and they were mainly worn indoors. Today however, they are made of linen, silk and have beads, different floral patterns and color and they are worn both indoors and outdoors during different occasions such as weddings and Swahili traditional ceremonies and parties.

Those that are worn during weddings, both Muslim and Swahili weddings have a lot of beads and flowers in the design. Those worn during Swahili traditional ceremonies and parties are worn to symbolize the type of event or ceremony taking place. Some of these events include one called ‘kunyoza’ where the bridegroom gets his hair trimmed by a barber before the wedding. This ceremony is attended by the groom’s family as well as the in-laws to be. Deras play a part in this ceremony by enabling those in attendance to differentiate the groom’s female family members (mother, sisters, aunts, grandmother) from those of the in-laws to be.

How, you ask? The both parties wear Deras that have the same design, be it color, floral pattern and even material.

So those on the groom’s side say wear Deras that match design wise and the in-laws to be also wear Deras that match but different from those on the groom’s side.

With that said, there are two types of Deras, the Dera also known as Kijora in Tanzania that is mostly worn by petite women. The other one is known as ‘Bacweyne’ which means big baggy. The word originates from Somalia and is usually baggy and worn by plus size and elderly women. This however doesn’t mean that they can’t be worn by any woman despite their age or size. Today they are not very popular with the young generation.

He tells me that times have changed and that Deras are now worn by any woman who fancies them, despite their age, culture or religion. Heck I’m sure you have a nonMuslim, non-Swahili friend who owns one or two of them.

Deras go hand in hand with a scarf that is popularly referred to as ‘mtandio’ in Swahili that has to be the same color and pattern as the Dera itself. He tells me that in his experience, the Deras that require to have an outer lining are often the most difficult to make. This is because the outer lining has to be perfectly straight.

I asked him if there’s any difference between the Deras worn in Kenya and those in Tanzania. He tells me that there isn’t much of a difference except maybe in the type of material used to make them in both countries. However, in Tanzania, the ‘class’ of a Dera in Tanzania is based upon the amount of flowers in the design of the Dera and this is mainly showcased during events and ceremonies.

And that’s it ladies and gents, a bit of history and background about the Dera. So if you are ever down at the Coast and in need of a few Deras, he is definitely the guy you need to talk to.

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Compiled and Edited by:

bigpatoarts

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