Plant People

In his book, Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa [1], photographer Hans Silvester presents an astounding collection of photographs [2] of two African tribes, the nomadic Surma and Mursi, who use plants and other natural materials to create elaborate headwear.

"They can take any material from the plant world - leaf, stem, flower, grass, root - and instantly transform it into an accessory straight from a fairy tale, without the slightest tinge of absurdity."

Fruits, mushrooms, snail shells and pigments made of crushed stone are also used to create these flourishing fashions.