A little fabric

As many of you know, I have been anxiously awaiting a trip into the fabric district here in Dakar. I had been advised not to venture down without someone knowledgeable about fabric and the area in general as it is a very, very busy marketplace. After a couple of false starts, a trip was scheduled for last weekend and with two other intrepid souls, I set off to begin the acquisition of fabric.

The day started with the promise of a torrential downpour as seriously dark clouds gathered over the ocean and a strong wind whipped the dust around. Carl suggested we reschedule. Was he kidding? There was no cancelling this trip! It would take a lot more than rain to keep us away from the possibilities to be found in the market. Besides, if it was raining, less people might be there, right? Armed with raincoats and umbrellas, we set out. As it was, the rain quickly cleared off and the market was wall to wall people. Our one saving grace was that the temperature stayed quite pleasant for the duration.

Once downtown, we set off on foot through the market area. To say that the area is congested is an understatement of gigantic proportions. What we in America consider personal space is very definintely public space here in Senegal. There is no comfort zone to surround you (either real or imaginary) and one must be prepared to be jostled about, encouraged to purchase things you never knew you needed or wanted, and be completely overwhelmed by the proximity of so many people, sights, sounds, and smells for the duration. Having said that, if one carries a healthy sense of caution and awareness, you can survive said adventure unscathed.

We had not intended to go into the Sandaga market on this trip - our plan was to visit a few shops on the periphery, look for fabric and stop in a gift shop or two. Sandaga is located in the very heart of downtown Dakar. It is crowded, hot, and very, very oderous (for the sake of brevity, I will not share with you my real feelings on the odor). Anything and everything can be purchased here and this is where we found the fabric we were looking for - the bright, patterned batiks so often admired in this country. Senegalese women use this fabric for their day to day and special occasion dresses with stunning results. The colors are mostly bold and provide striking contrast to the desert landscape.


At one shop, the vendor invited us to tour his factory where hundreds of men were sewing - clothing, bags, anything and everything made of fabric. These items would then be sold on the street or exported. The shop reminded me of Lowell, Massachusetts, at the turn of the last century, only more colorful and staffed by men rather than young girls. Literally, every space in the building was crammed with sewing machines, fabric, and people.

As I didn't take any photos while on this trip, visit www.khm.uio.no/utstillinger/madeinafrica/english/marked_2.html for a bit more history and some photos.

We're going back to the market again, once we've recovered from this trip and have done something with the fabric we bought. Next on the list is to find a tailor.