'Kon Na Wan' koto

The design pays homage to the Afro-Surinamese culture by uniting this specific group in Surinam and the diaspora, re-evaluating the material heritage and honouring it from a modern perspective. The koto had to be lighter and more transparent to release it from the heaviness of the Dutch colonial past. The name of the koto ‘Kon na wan’ also represents the way the design was made. The design is a combination of a ‘slimmer’ silhouette of the traditional kotomisi, together with the check of the pangi and woodcutting as seen with the Marrons. The dress consists of silkscreen on cotton, depicting a metaphoric story/pattern about Afro-Surinamese people. The yaki was made of an exposed chequered fabric made by hand, and the skirt is transparent to make all the different layers visible. To complete the look, an angisa is worn on top of her head. The angisa is folded with two pangi. One is visible in the dress, and the other is partly adorned with embroidery d’art to make the angisa even more valuable. The angisa purposely doesn’t cover her entire head and reveals parts of her hairstyle. The lady, or rather, the kotomisi can relish in her entire being and show off everything she has got.