Titi (dance skirt)

In 1920, Edward the Prince of Wales (later the Duke of Windsor) visited Samoa aboard the battle cruiser Renown. It was a major event for local Samoans, so much so that a weaver and a skilled sewer put together this unique titi to commemorate the occasion and welcome the Prince. The titi is a type of skirt used by dancers in Sāmoa. It is usually made from leaves and other forms of plant material.

Details
This example is made from hibiscus bark fibre. Using an appliqué sewing technique, pieces of coloured cloth have been used to carefully construct a waistband featuring images of the Union Jack.

The Union Jack in Sāmoa
The Union Jack had made a previous appearance in Sāmoan fashion. In the 1880s, the British Consul to Sāmoa William Churchward noted that the colours of the Union Jack were popular fashion for a while in Sāmoa's main port of Apia. In fact, there was quite a run on Union Jack flags, and locals were seen wearing them as lavalavas and shawls. This was until one English expatriate tried to buy them all back. This titi, made some decades later, probably affords the British royalty a higher degree of respect, and is a creative and novel tribute.