MAKERERE UNIVERSITY

MARGARET TROWELL SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL FINE ART

THE INFLUENCE OF CONTEMPORARY FASHION DESIGN ON THE VIBRANCY OF TRADITIONAL CERE

MONIAL DRESS CULTURE OF URBAN DWELLERS.

BY
WANZUSI RONNALD

A RESEARCH PROPOSAL SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT

OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN INDUSTRIAL FINE ART

AUGUST 2010
Definitions of operational terms
Khanga-------------- A khanga is a brightly colored piece of cloth that many Eas
t African women wear. Many wear khangas over their skirts while working in the f
ields to keep the dust of their skirts. Khangas are also worn as head wraps.
Shuka--------------- A sash (decorative length of cloth) worn in parts of Africa
.
Kitenge ------------ A printed Fabric originating from West Africa
Agbada ------------- Agbada is the Yoruba name for a type of flowing wide sleeve
d robe, usually decorated with embroidery, which is worn throughout much of Nige
ria by important men, such as kings and chiefs, and on ceremonial occasions like
weddings and funerals
Kikoyi -------------- A piece of woven cloth from different threads of cotton ye
arn to provide the different patterns worn inside a Gomasi
Kofia --------------- Swahili word for a cap
Omutanda--------- Title for Buganda’s King
Omwogezi--------- Speaker

Kitambala--------- A matching colorful sash that accompanies a Gomesi as a Belt

Vibrancy-------------In this study, vibrancy between the two dress cult
ures will be defined as the heightened use of or intensified case of presence of
color, elaborate fashion and extreme variations of the value including related
materials that render an exhibition of the culture / traditional dress qualities
and immediately felt or recognized. In other words, fashion in relation to styl
e becomes immediately felt and thus prominent, in the presence of other immediat
e things.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background
The Baganda in Uganda have their traditional wear – the Kanzu (tunic) for men and
Gomasi (flowing gown) for women – which are mainly used for ceremonies such as the
Kwanjula (introduction ) and Embaga (wedding) .
In Buganda, women s decency was valued highly. This decency was portrayed in man
y forms including dressing, which reflected mannerism. As part of the continued
quest for decency, the early tribesmen with efforts from missionaries in Buganda
came up with the idea of a Gomesi/Busuuti.
Initially the Gomesi/Busuuti was made of bark cloth and since then it has evolve
d from time to time due to the emergence of contemporary fashion which brought i
n different materials, colors and styles. The history of the Gomesi can be trace
d back as far as 1940’s when it was adapted as the dress for boarding schools in U
ganda, starting with Gayaza. Gayaza, as we know was founded by Christian mission
aries ‘…to train girls especially the daughters of chiefs in those skills that would
make them better wives’.
According to www.ugpulse.com, initially, the ladies of the school donned the bas
ic Kiganda ladies’ attire of the day: a sheet of cotton cloth wrapped around the b
reasts and tied to the waist with a smaller strip of cloth. This left much of th
e torso exposed and there were often some accidents with that attire especially
when the ladies went to work in the school shambas . The missionary tutors found
the exposure of the ladies’ torsos and breasts indecent and sought to craft a dre
ss code that was a compromise of their own fashions and the bed sheet-like sash
with which the ‘natives’ draped themselves
Baganda women have now worn the Gomesi or busuuti for close to 100 years. The Go
mesi, made of six metres of cloth, has sleeves made in a particular way. The Gom
esi also has a fashionable belt or the kisibiro and is usually donned at traditi
onal ceremonies.
Traditional ceremonies in Buganda today are graced with vibrant ceremonial dress
that is very much a characteristic of contemporary fashion design rather than b
eing absolutely functional. Such an analysis engrained in traditional dress cult
ure shows the trends that contemporary fashion has revitalized traditional dress
culture. The traditional ceremonial dress includes the accompaniments of dress
culture like flowers, head dress and other decorations. Dress accompaniments of
the traditional culture include those articles that are supplements of the cerem
onial dress code. Short lived fashion events such as these ceremonies translate
into a bigger meaning while contemporary fashion introduces new elements in trad
itional ceremonial dress culture. The decorations, attires are all stage managed
to make up a holistic exhibition of a traditional culture which is very much dr
iven by the traditional cultural purpose but influenced by contemporary fashion.
This is a clear example that traditional ceremonial dress code in Buganda today
clearly shows that there is a lot of material that would be interesting for a r
esearcher who is interested in the effect of contemporary values of fashion
As contemporary fashion evolves, the Baganda traditional ceremonial trend has al
so tended to be swayed by the influence brought about by these new fashions. The
colorfulness of ceremonies whether modern or traditional, is also a vital aspec
t at events today. In the past the color scheme was very much earthly like which
included the browns of the backcloth and red Kikoyi. A woman not dressed in a G
omesi at a social function or event was not considered decently dressed until th
e recent arrival of Bitengi and Agbada from West Africa that have increased the
vibrancy of traditional ceremonial dress. Today the evolution of vibrant color
s has brought out the nature of the ceremonies where a lot of contemporary fashi
ons are present- showing the impact contemporary fashion is influencing the trad
itional ceremonial dress which would otherwise grace the ceremonies.
Most researchers on contemporary fashion design have looked at it as a dress cul
ture leading to changes in culture. Modifications on traditional ceremonial dres
s introduced changes that are evident in traditional ceremonies today and seen a
s losing appropriate fashion.
Much of these studies do not entirely describe the issue of traditional dress cu
lture benefiting from the contemporary fashion. Thus this study intends to focus
on the influence of contemporary fashion on traditional ceremonial dress cultur
e in urban dwellers in Buganda region from 1954 to date in order to describe ful
ly how the traditional ceremonial dress evolves along with contemporary fashion
and how the features in contemporary
1.2 Statement of the problem
Contemporary fashion provides avenues for color, pomp and vibrancy to traditiona
l ceremonial dress. However, much as there have been studies taken about contemp
orary fashion design in relation to traditional ceremonial dress culture, these
studies fall short of describing the influence that contemporary fashion has on
the Baganda traditional ceremonial dress in terms of vibrancy.
As a consequence we are unable to recognize the implication of the relationship
between contemporary fashion and traditional dress culture with in the indigenou
s dress culture. With regard to this, the researcher intends to undertake a stud
y on the influence of contemporary fashion to the vibrancy of traditional ceremo
nial dress culture among the urban dwellers in Buganda. In this study, the youth
will constitute those people aged between 18 and 40 years.
The study will thus take on the task of describing with the use of visual aids,
the contributions of contemporary fashion to traditional dress culture.
1.3 Purpose of the study
The aim of the study will be to describe how contemporary fashion influences tra
ditional ceremonial dress and how the traditional ceremonial dress has evolved i
n the face of contemporary fashion.
The study will do so by describing the Baganda introduction ceremony as a case
of the interaction between contemporary fashion and tradition dress culture.

1.4 Objectives of the study:

1.4.1 General objective
(i) To reveal the influence of contemporary fashion design to the vibrancy o
f traditional ceremonial dress culture in urban dwellers in Buganda.
1.4.2 Specific objectives
(i) To find out the variant features in contemporary fashion being incorpora
ted in the traditional ceremonial dress to enhance its vibrancy.
(ii) To assess the context of application of contemporary fashion in traditio
nal ceremonial dress in terms of vibrancy and quality.
(iii) To analyze the influence of ornaments to the prominence of conte
mporary fashion over traditional ceremonial dress culture.
1.5 Significance of the study
• The study will fill in gaps in literature that address the influential features
in contemporary fashion directly contributing to the transformation of tradition
al dress culture.
• Secondly, it will be significant in describing the features in contemporary fash
ion that have given traditional ceremonial dress culture the vibrant features it
has today.
• The research will also be significant to other researchers in the same area in p
roviding literature and lastly it will be of significance in aiding the research
er achieve the Degree of Industrial Fine Art of Makerere University.
1.6 Research questions
1. Which features in contemporary fashion are being incorporated in the tra
ditional ceremonial dress to make it vibrant?
2. To what extent are the Baganda youth applying contemporary fashion in te
rms of making their traditional ceremonial dresses?
3. What ornaments characteristic of contemporary fashion are making traditi
onal dress culture prominent today?
1.6 Scope of the study
The study will focus on the contribution of contemporary fashion to the tr
aditional ceremonial dress culture among the urban youth in Buganda between the
ages of 18 and 40 years, it will focus on the period from 1954 to date, with the
main focus on Kampala District.

1.7 Limitations of the research

(i) The research anticipates that time will be the limiting factor that wil
l impact on the sample to be taken.
(ii) Funds are anticipated to be a problem to the researcher as it will inv
olve the traversing of Kampala district to get information.
(iii) The researcher also anticipates resistance from the sample participant
s in giving out information related to their private life.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction
This chapter provides review of the literature upon which the foundation of this
study is based
2.1 Traditional ceremonial dress in Buganda
Traditional ceremonial dress in Buganda constitutes the Kanzu that is the Tunic
for men and the Gomesi (flowing gown) for women. The Gomesi takes its name from
one an Indian, Mr Gomez who is said to have been enlisted by the Gayaza Girls’ sch
ool to make Uniforms for the students. Gomez maintained the extravagant sash, ve
ry much like the oriental Kimono or West African Obi that was to form a massive
skirt. On to this, was stitched a quasi blouse with a square neck with two butto
ns opening on the left.
“This became the first uniform for all girls in boarding schools (hence ‘boodingi’) an
d when they went back home for holidays, the traditional authorities were impres
sed by the new fashion, turning it into the ‘traditional’ dress”.
As seen in the above text, this paved way for integration of new fashions in the
“traditional dress”
Nakafu Ritah (2001), states that traditionally, the Busuuti was strapless and ma
de from bark-cloth . The busuuti is worn on all festive and ceremonial occasions
. The indigenous dress of the Baganda men is a kanzu, a long, white cotton robe
or tunic said to be of Indian origin. On special occasions, it is worn over trou
sers with a Western-style suit jacket over it.
As we see from this excerpt, the report shows that contemporary fashion nowadays
complements traditional ceremonial dress thus making more vibrant
Bark cloth
Bark cloth is the inner bark of a species of wild fig tree. In Uganda, many cult
ures look it as more than just a tree. Through both traditional and western modi
fications, it has become a material for traditional form of dressing.
According to a sharing Knowledge blog by Abbey Kibirige Ssemuwemba , bark cloth
has been modified in usage and applied in so many creative ways by improving on
its texture, color and forms to provide vibrant fashions suitable for use at int
roduction ceremonies (traditional weddings) where dresses are made for the girls
who escort the bride. It has been made vibrant by complementing with ornaments
and been used as creative cultural wear by many contestants in beauty pageants a
nd in different competitions.
As seen above, the influence of contemporary fashion is not only used in making
traditional ceremonial dress vibrant but is also depicted in creative cultural w
ear at fashion shows.
The saharanvibe.blogspot.com, describes that due to the intensity of competition
s and the demands for originality, beauty pageants have taken it further as part
of the creative wear collection. A good example is the one used for making the
creative wear for Miss Uganda 1st runner up Joan in 2009. Traditional wedding ha
ve also picked up the interest of using this kind of creative wear. I always get
so many who would love to have changing dresses for their brides alongside a cr
eative makeup and jewelry.
This reveals that the use of bark cloth as a traditional dress culture has not b
een left aside or left out even if there are finer materials that are as a resul
t of contemporary fashion. It has revealed that contemporary fashion makes tradi
tional materials like the Bark cloth vibrant due to the mixing of bark cloth wit
h the contemporary fabrics such as Satin, Bazza, Kikoyi
It also reveals how ornaments used in conjunction with contemporary fashion desi
gns have added vibrancy to traditional ceremonial dress enhancing its color, for
m and providing variations in relation to the original traditional ceremonial dr
ess.
Kikoyi
Dr Christopher Garimoi Orach ( 2001), comments that the kikoyi is a fabric that
has been used inside the Gomesi or on top of other dresses ; the Kikoyi today i
ncorporates contemporary fashion designs to make it more vibrant making it a cho
ice for many young people at traditional ceremonies. Wikipedia, the free online
encyclopedia states that the fabric is worn around the waist as a wrap or saron
g . It’s a practice which is still being carried on up to today.
Many years have pasted and kikoyi is still the household name. Kikoyi versatilit
y has grown with time and its now a symbol of the tropical beach lifestyle in th
e coastal town. According to the ME Magazine (2010), today the kikoyi fabric is
tailored into many modern styles. Kikoyi is now universally known famous and wor
n by all community around the world because of its beauty and vast color variety
and used in many traditional ceremonies .
This reveals how style under contemporary fashion design has influenced one of t
he traditional materials in Buganda region which is the kikoyi by joining it wi
th contemporary material has the above states .
Kanzu/Tunic
In the Ugandan sense is a hand-sewn garment commonly used in cultural ceremonies
 like introductions wedding among others. In the ancient days, Kanzu was made fr
om backcloth but with the introduction cloth, the garment has been made vibrant
by being modified to only cream and white materials. Today, kanzu is made from m
aterials like Cotton, Linen, and poplin .
According to the Countries and Their Cultures magazine, the kanzu has become syn
onymous with cultural ceremonies ever since it was introduced into Buganda by th
e Arab traders. Be it at an introduction ceremony, wedding, Last Funeral Rites a
nd enthroning new heirs, one is considered dressed for the occasion when they ar
e donning kanzu (para 19)
What creates a difference between the Buganda/Uganda Kanzu and the Arabic Kanzu
(tunic) is the design. Whereas the Arabic tunic is sown using a sewing machine,
the traditional tunic in Uganda is sown using hands.Tracing the genesis of weari
ng Kanzu in Buganda History tells us that Ssekabaka Ssuna of Buganda was the fir
st King (Kabaka) to wear Kanzu after the Arab traders brought the garment to Bug
anda during his reign. Upon his death, all his successors turned the kanzu into
their official and cultural garment.
New Vision (2006), says the current King of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, wore
a very vibrant and colorful Kanzu as a ceremonial dress and it was the only ‘acce
pted dress for the wedding of ‘Omutanda . The same has happened during other big
days in Buganda like the Coronation Anniversary where the people in the Royal Fa
mily as well as the subjects willingly don the precious garment.
This reveals that in culture and cultural ceremonies in Buganda, the kanzu or th
e tunic is among the issues to discuss on the menu because a cultural ceremony w
ithout a kanzu is not worthy calling a cultural ceremony much as the influx of c
ontemporary fashion design has come around, the Kanzu form still remains althoug
h the incorporation of vibrantly colored materials is now used to show differenc
es in class..
Various decorations on the Kanzu called the Omulela are colorful designs common
ly found around the neck area and systematically flow down wards in the middle o
f the garment cutting through the abdomen area in the middle to the level of the
ankles. (www.ugandanlink.com)

“unlike the Arabic tunic, which is characterized white color without decorations a
nd at times with a collar and a pocket, the traditional Kanzu has decorations in
maroon color as well as a feature called Omulela”.
In the face of contemporary fashion designs, the Omulela has been made of skill
fully colored materials and shapes to make the Kanzu more vibrant in form.
According to Jude Bukenya on UgPulse, a weblog, the groom wears a suit jacket on
top of the kanzu, and the bride s attire is the Gomesi. During Introduction c
eremonies it is customary for the groom to wear a white kanzu. The groomsmen and
other men who are members of the Introduction party wear the kanzu with a suit
jacket.
He further asserts that
“ the people in Buganda inherited this precious garment that has turned out to be
the national dress for Buganda and is one of the treasured clothes in people s w
ardrobes”.
If you have doubts, you should ask what Ugandan sportsmen and women sometimes pu
t on when they are going for national duty especially during the Olympics.
As seen in this the donning of the suit jacket atop the kanzu shows the influen
ce of contemporary fashion on the Baganda traditional ceremonial dress

The modern Kanzu don at social occasions is usually cream or white although some
people who hold cultural institutions with a lot of esteem still prefer to don
Kanzu made from bark cloth. It is very much emphasized and recommended on social
functions like introductions (Kwanjula) and failure by men (as it is also the c
ase with women not dressing in Gomesi) to appear in Kanzu can become an embarras
sment to the visitors.
During Kwanjula, the groom s side is not only required appear dressed in Kanzu,
but are also required to present some Kanzu to the bride s side. In Buganda, Kan
zu for the father of the bride to be as well as the brothers of the bride to be
is a MUST.
In extreme cases where the man s side fails or forgets to bring Kanzu for any of
the people supposed to get, there are either asked to go back or provide an env
elop with money (new era) that can buy the Kanzu.
This is however a diversion from culture that reveals how contemporary fashion h
as influenced or replaced items in terms of providing money in stead of what oug
ht to have been paid before the influx of contemporary fashion.
The influence of contemporary fashion on Buganda traditional ceremonial dress
Norms attached to a Kanzu
Western influence may have spread like dry season bush fire, but this influence
has failed to write off Kanzu from the Buganda tradition as it has done in some
societies in Uganda. For the many people who look at conserving culture as trend
y and fashionable, donning Kanzu is not just covering one s body but a sign of g
entility and proper conduct. This is because in Buganda, someone who puts on a t
unic is expected to be well behaved and gentle because any abuse of the garment
is like abusing the Buganda institution.
“Busuuti or gomesi has a distinct square-neck often decorated with two buttons. It
has a pointy sleeves and a huge sash draping over a full skirt.
“It is a colorful ankle length dress”
The Gomesi is a brightly colored cloth dress with a square neckline and short, p
uffed sleeves. The dress is tied with a sash placed below the waist over the hip
s. The Gomesi has two buttons on the left side of the neckline. Most Gomesi are
made of silk, cotton, or linen fabric, with silk being the most expensive. A kha
nga is tied underneath the linen Gomesi to ensure that the fabric does not stick
to the body matched with a ‘Kitambala’ to accompany that courtly attire. It can req
uire up to 6 meters of cloth for a well fitting Gomesi.
This shows that the Gomesi dress symbolizes the ostentation and conspicuous disp
lay and extravagancy of contemporary society where value for money is an alien c
oncept in relation to the contemporary materials used. From one gomesi, a contem
porary designer can make at least 3 size 12 ladies’ dresses….let alone the ‘Kikoyi’, and
‘Kitambala’ that accompany it.
Tobi (1958) argues that fabric cotton dresses came into Uganda with the arrival
of the Arabs in the country. Since the country was open up to trade with the oth
er non-African world, first by Arabs then by the Europeans and Indians
With the introduction of new fabrics, it gave a wide chance for western fashions
in Buganda which later contributed to a wider influence of these fashions on th
e further development of the Busuuti. The busuuti was not only local to cover th
e Baganda women’s body but had respect to various occasions
It should be noted therefore from the above that the inflow contemporary fashion
, the Busuuti advanced into a number of stages in terms of design thus making it
vibrant due to the transformation in materials, colors and style. This is evide
nt to show how vibrant the traditional ceremonial dress has been made under the
influence of contemporary fashion design.
Namutebi Alice (1998), reported that “ ...the coming of Europeans introduced a new
culture in Uganda which led to a new kind of dressing. Traditional attire were
suppressed in favor of foreign attire although traditional attire did not phase
out completely”
This report supports the evolution of fashion under contemporary fashion design
which shows that the existence of the traditional dress culture has remained dom
inant though modifications have been made in them pg 17
Christine Ndagire (1997) in her article flair for fashion in the B June 13-19 sp
ice magazine stated “ it is fashionable to support African clothes almost everywhe
re the African fabrics are taking the day ahead of imported silk and tetrons. Th
e beautiful color of creativity of African designs seems to be upstaging the dre
ary similarities of the other fabrics meaning or implying that contemporary fash
ions and its accompaniments are not only developed but also directly imported fr
om the western world and used perhaps”.
This statement shows that traditional dress culture has embraced western materia
ls fabrics, color and skills into traditional ceremonial wear
Changing Gomesi
Tobi (1958) clearly states that traditionally, the Busuuti is worn on all festiv
e and ceremonial occasions. However, it is a day-to-day dress for most rural wom
en who consider skirts and blouses as girls dresses and cannot wear trousers.
He further argues that originally there was one simple style of wearing a Gomesi
-that is wrapping the bark cloth around oneself. But as modernity set in and the
design became sophisticated, the details increased making wearing a Gomesi an e
laborate exercise, probably one reason why young people do not fancy it. Today s
Gomesi or Busuuti is often a floor-length, brightly colored cloth dress with a
square neckline and short, puffed sleeves. The garment is fastened with a modern
day material sash placed just below the waist over the hips, and by two buttons
on the left side of the neckline.
Today women opt for linen fabric contrary to bark cloth and cotton, women starte
d noticing that the new fabric easily sticks on the body and makes movement diff
icult. "To avoid the linen sticking onto the body, a Kikoyi came in handy as und
erwear. It is smooth, comfortable and remains dry even when one sweats," It also
provides more color to the traditional ceremonial wear and comes out in many pr
inted colors
As seen in this report, the use of contemporary materials improves on the tradit
ional ceremonial dress by providing the applicability of many printed colors to
make it more vibrant.
Gomesi losing out
Despite all the traditions and customs attached to the Gomesi, it is ever becomi
ng less popular and uncomfortable for young people especially professionals who
prefer business suits, trousers and dresses.
Cossy Nalugwa, a Makerere University student says a Gomesi is good but not frien
dly to the fast moving life of Kampala where one has to jump onto a boda boda or
bicycle to catch up with appointments. "As a member of Nkoba za Mbogo (a club o
f Baganda youth advocating for preservation of Buganda s cultural values), I am
supposed to support the wearing of a Gomesi, but a flexible design should be pro
moted so that more young people can wear them," says Nalugwa.
But flexibility is not the only reason why young women are shunning the Gomesi.
Modern young women have other feminine issues like whether the Gomesi will be ab
le to portray their curves and hips as much as they like.
"A Gomesi is not a right attire for a slender person like me," reasons Jennifer
Nakazibwe adding that some women stuff a blanket underneath so that their curves
can come out in a Gomesi... a mighty task.
This shows that contemporary fashion has been embraced by certain sections of pe
ople but depending on the circumstances, it still remains traditional in form th
ough enhanced by contemporary fashion.

Hope for the Gomesi

However, some dynamic designers with business acumen have found a window for mak
ing money (after all, among the tribes who wear Gomesis, it s almost compulsory
to wear it on certain functions like a Kwanjula.) The designers have improvised
the necessary changes to attract young people. For instance, Chrisams Designs h
as modernized the gomesi to include a zip to make sure that the dress does not s
lip open at the sides (UgPulse 2007).
The fold over the waist is fastened with straps. The invention has received a po
sitive response. The tailoring house is now receiving more young people from aro
und the city putting in their orders. "A number of campus girls often come to or
der for this Gomesi," says Agnes Mugabi, one of the tailors.
But the Gomesi will continue to be a source of clashes between culture and moder
nity. Whether, wearing a Gomesi is uncomfortable or not, today, in many tribes,
people will scoff at a woman who goes to a cultural function in anything but the
gomesi.

CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
This chapter looks at the design procedures and methods that will be used to car
ry out the study by the researcher during the process of conducting the study.
In the study the methods that will be considered by the researcher as the proced
ures which will be taken during data collection. These methods will include; que
stionnaires, observation, interviews, sampling and data analysis.
3.1 Observation
The observation study will be carried out in the form of visual study of the act
ual traditional ceremonial dress fashion produced by different designers for the
urban dwellers. It will focus mainly on the visible elements of the Kanzu, Busu
uti, and accessories. This will help the researcher get clear first hand informa
tion on the materials used. Fashions incorporated and colors favored for the tra
ditional ceremonial dress from the designers. During the observation procedure,
the researcher will try to study and compare the contemporary fashion alongside
traditional ceremonial dress. The activity is intended to find out the influence
of contemporary fashion designs on traditional ceremonial dress.
3.2 Questionnaires
This method will include questions that will be given to willing respondents in
the fashion design industry to give their views and answers in writing. Self adm
inistered questionnaires will be drawn from the different objectives that have b
een put together as regards to he researcher’s data collection. This will help the
researcher to collect relevant data focusing on the scope of the study and resu
lting in time saving. The questionnaires will be handed out to various designers
of traditional ceremonial dress who will be mainly involved in the study.
3.3 Sampling
The method of sampling will be used to select the designers randomly in order to
 decrease the biasness that may arise and cause the data not to reflect the actu
al situation on ground. A total number of Twenty five designers will be selected
in and around Kampala incorporating male and female, young and old fashion desi
gners. This will be important to the study as it will generate information from
both the young designers who are much closer to contemporary fashion and the vie
ws of the older designers who have seen the evolution of the traditional ceremon
ial dress culture.
3.4 Interviews
An interview is a data collection technique that involves oral questioning of th
e respondents, either individually or as a group. This is one technique the rese
archer intends to use. The answers that will emerge out of the interviews will b
e recorded by the way of handwriting.
Interviewing involves systematic collection of data through asking questions, ca
refully listening to the answers and noting the answers that are of relevance to
the objectives of the research.
Through this method the researcher will be able to interact with different desig
ners personally to find out reasons that would have otherwise been hard to put i
n writing while using the questionnaire method

References
UGPulse: Tracing the Origin of the Gomesi/Busuuti retrieved
Fashion Encyclopedia: Clothing of African Cultures
Otto Patrick ”Gomesi” as a national dress of Uganda , 2009
(CULTURE, POLITICS)
Bukenya Jude "KANZU" A Traditional Costume, Ultimate Media retrieved
Tuesday, 03 April 2007
New Vision 16th November, 2006
Hannington John Speke, Journal of the Discovery of the Nile Sources.
1st edition 1863; Blackwood, London.
The ganda people by lubega weboro pg .64
The effect of western fashion on the development of the Ganda traditional dress
design today; pg 2
The ganda culture by Tobi pg.23
The ME magazine retrieved at www.me magazine.com
The spice magazine
http://www.ugandanlink.com/features/kanzu.html
Mutabaazi Enoch, Women dressed in busuuti,December 5, 2006 www.ugpulse.
com/articles/daily/Heritage