In addition to its legendary gold, Mali conceals many treasures. Artisanal textile production represents centuries of ancestral know-how rich in potential that exists in every region of the country. Talented artisans specializing in ancestral dyeing, weaving, and embroidery techniques have made the country famous over the centuries. But this expertise is disappearing due to a lack of intergenerational transmission and the need for an efficient, modern strategy to access wider markets for these magnificent textiles.

The Indigo Dogon project aims to remedy these problems by reviving the ancestral textile craft and sharing it beyond Mali’s borders. In the Bandiagara region known as Dogon Country, a veritable indigo textile craft industry based on traditional knowledge is emerging in the hands of the CAPID cooperative of indigo dyers. By training local artisans and stimulating the production and sale of indigo textiles made from Malian cotton and produced locally, the initiative enables craft families to remain in their villages and contribute to the regional economy in the face of insecurity that has affected the agriculture and tourism sectors, in freefall for the past decade.

The Indigo Dogon project works to combat poverty among women and halt the exodus of youth by stimulating local textile production and forging links to the global marketplace. First in 2014 and again in 2017, a series of training workshops has continued to empower a generation of women dyers who learned their craft from their mothers and grandmothers and who are now sharing it with younger artisans. Before this initiative began, experienced indigo dyers here facing the decline of their livelihood with the exodus of tourists and youth. Supported by a grant from the U.S. Embassy, the CAPID is focusing efforts to preserve the distinctive traditional indigo patterns while innovating new procedures and techniques in indigo textile design. The goal is to improve, professionalize and stimulate indigo craft production, creating a new synergy in this historical region.

The CAPID’s cooperative structure has the potential to create job opportunities and increase revenue for several hundreds of women, girls and young men. The cooperative works as a loose network of village artisans under the umbrella of the Centre indigo, a non-profit that provides training and marketing services to the cooperative with an active membership composed of largely uneducated women.

The Dogon are a resilient, autonomous people. They have faced extreme hardship before and they’ve always managed to survive. However, their unique ancestral culture is presently threatened by a local insurgency that has left inhabitants isolated and close to defenseless against the armed violence that has invaded this once peaceful, magical land, destabilizing the harmony and social fabric of village life. Traditional textile production is at the very heart of the Dogon culture and economy, the cotton thread of that binds, weaving together the various strands to forge a strong collective identity. If the art of indigo dyeing and textile production is allowed to thrive, it will be primarily thanks to the Dogon women who preserve and transmit their ancestral craft to the offspring who succeed them.

Ecologically produced, the attractive indigo textiles are transformed into value-added articles of fashion and home decoration. Starting with exhibits, fashion shows and a presence at regional fairs and festivals, our indigo marketing strategy now includes international export. Thanks to the recent US Embassy grant, 7 talented Malian designers and 4 savvy university graduates are being mentored by American and Canadian experts in fashion and e-commerce. When demand for IndigoDogon textiles increase, this dynamic team will be ready and prepped to meet the challenge. The IndigoDogon brand of fashion and interior design is designed specifically to shine a light on our inspirational artisans and create a wide appreciation for their creations. Increased demand for these attractive Dogon textiles is also bound to improve the lives of other Malian artisans in the needle, dyeing and textile trades.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERTISE

Malian stylists and designers are hard at work creating prototype fashions and furnishings fashioned from IndigoDogon textiles. In the fall of 2022, a class of fashion students from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) designed indigo clothing and accessories for the project. Malian designers benefit from expert mentoring by African-American stylist Brenda Winstead (Damali AfrikanWear) and Boubacar Doumbia, founder of the Atelier Bogolan Ndomo in Ségou, Mali. Other mentors include VCU design professor Kristen McCasky and Mireille Vachon, costume designer for theater, television and the Cirque du Soleil. The dynamic marketing strategy team is focussed on promotional social media networking and creating an electronic sales platform for IndigoDogon brand textiles. Dr Patricia Cummins (VCU), an economic specialist with a first-hand knowledge of Malian and and African culture is also an advisor to the project. By purchasing IndigoDogon clothing, accessories and textiles “Made in Mali”, you contribute to the economic survival of this mythical region while encouraging the development of fair trade.  All sales profits are reinvested in the cooperative and the purchase of materials and equipment necessary for its operation.