By Ann-Aniedi Asikpo
Founder, Ann-Aniedi Asikpo Studio
Every fruitful journey begins with a conversation.
This week, I had the honour of delivering an international guest webinar for Announce Digital Fashion in partnership with the Digital Fashion Institute, where I introduced the research and methodology behind the DECODE Archive to a global audience of fashion professionals which include , digital designers, educators, and creative practitioners.
The webinar, “Restoring and Redefining Africa’s Fashion Legacy,” delved into how African textiles can be understood not simply as beautiful fabrics, but as living archives of history that carried, identity, craftsmanship, science, and culture.
This was more than a speaking engagement for me. It was an opportunity to share , explore years of research and demonstrate why we should preserve Africa’s textile heritage and why it matters now more than ever.
The Reason why I Created the DECODE Methodology
Throughout my research, I noticed a recurring problem.
Many African textiles are celebrated for their beauty but rarely understood beyond their appearance.
Traditional names are replaced with generic labels.
Communities are rarely credited.
The knowledge of the makers is often overlooked.
As a public relations professional, researcher, and cultural heritage advocate, I wanted to create a framework that helps people move beyond simply looking at a fabric to truly understanding it.
This is what led to the creation of the 5 DECODE Questions:
- What is its native name?
- Who created it?
- How is it made?
- What does it mean?
- Why does it matter today?
This methodology provides a practical way to research African textiles, document, teach, and preserve textile heritage with greater accuracy and respect to the communities.
The Three Pillars i use for the Webinar
The session was built around three key ideas that now guide all of my work.
RECLAIM
Every textile has an origin.
Reclaiming African fashion means restoring accurate names, recognising the communities that created these traditions, and ensuring that we tell history and story from the perspective of the people who made it.
DIGITISE
Documentation is preservation.
Keeping records of textile histories, production methods, cultural meanings, and material characteristics, will create a permanent record that future generations can access and build upon.
I created the DECODE Archive to make this knowledge visible, searchable, and accessible.
PRESERVE
Preservation extends beyond museums.
This includes supporting artisans, protecting cultural knowledge, encouraging responsible design practices, and ensuring that traditional craftsmanship continues to inspire future generations.
My work Is More Than Fashion
One of the highlights of the webinar was discussing textiles such as Ankara, Adire, and Aso-oke through the DECODE framework.
Instead of treating them as decorative fabrics, we explored them as examples of innovation, cultural identity, and material knowledge.
Participants learned the significant of how every textile carries stories about the people who created it, the environment in which it is created , and the values it carries to represent today.
These conversations reinforced an important message that:
Textiles are not simply products. They are cultural documents.
A Growing International Conversation
I was encouraged by the passion , thoughtful questions, and engagement from participants joining from different parts of the world.
Because of positive response to the session l was given another invitation for further conversations around African textile heritage, digital fashion, and cultural preservation.
It is very exciting to see growing international interest in ensuring that heritage is represented with authenticity, accuracy, and respect.
Looking Ahead
The DECODE Archive is more than a research project.
This is a long-term obligation to documenting African textile traditions using a consistent and academically grounded methodology for documentation.
This will be done through research, public speaking, workshops, publications, and educational resources, my aim is to help fashion professionals, educators, students, museums, and cultural institutions better understand the remarkable knowledge embedded within African textiles.
This work has only just begun.
Thank You
I would like to use this opportunity to say a big thank you , my sincere gratitude to Announce Digital Fashion, the Digital Fashion Institute, Onome Emeya. Yemi Scott, and everyone who attended the webinar.
Thank you for creating a space where meaningful conversations about heritage, innovation, and the future of fashion can thrive.
The DECODE Philosophy
The webinar closed the with three simple lines that continue to inspire everything I do:
Africa has 54 nations.
Each one has a fabric.
Each fabric has a story.
At Ann-Aniedi Asikpo Studio, we are committed to ensuring those stories are researched, preserved, and shared through us to the world.
About Ann-Aniedi Asikpo Studio
Ann-Aniedi Asikpo Studio is a cultural heritage and public relations consultancy based in Stockton-on-Tees, North East England. Using the DECODE Archive, the studio researches, documents, and promotes African textile traditions using an original five-question methodology designed to preserve material integrity, reinforce cultural attribution, and support education, museums, fashion professionals, and the creative industries globally.
