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Fashion<br />
African Prints:<br />
The international<br />
recognition of the<br />
African fabrics<br />
has brought<br />
some significant<br />
developments within<br />
the African fashion<br />
industry.<br />
World<br />
Fashion<br />
Trend<br />
By Okocha Obianuju Ifeoma<br />
African Fabrics have gained a<br />
valuable place in the fashion<br />
world. The western audience<br />
and buyers no longer see<br />
African fabrics and fashion as<br />
a traditional wear.<br />
The African print fabric has<br />
become a popular trend in the<br />
fashion world. A few years ago,<br />
this trend was only valuable in<br />
Africa, and more or less limited<br />
to the African consumers, usually<br />
worn during family reunions,<br />
community gatherings and other<br />
social events. This is no more<br />
the case. African fibre is now<br />
increasingly spreading across<br />
the world. Having in mind, the<br />
negative historical perception of<br />
Africa by the West and the limited<br />
knowledge of African culture in<br />
the Western world, the present<br />
demand for African fabrics in<br />
the fashion industry is indeed<br />
a creative response to the key<br />
historical past as well as a powerful<br />
projection of African identity.<br />
The international recognition of<br />
the African fabrics has brought<br />
some significant developments<br />
within the African fashion<br />
industry. Presently, African Fabrics<br />
have gained a valuable place in<br />
the fashion world. The western<br />
audience and buyers no longer<br />
see African fabrics and fashion<br />
as a traditional wear. This new<br />
perception has resulted in the<br />
increasing use of African prints<br />
and other crafts, and fashion<br />
elements by Western designers.<br />
Moreover, African prints have<br />
played a vital role in the expression<br />
of beauty, fashion, and heritage,<br />
while creating transcultural<br />
connections across Africa and<br />
the world. Traditionally, African<br />
fabrics were not just worn for<br />
the sake of wearing. They had<br />
significant cultural symbols and<br />
meanings attached to them. These<br />
important meanings and attributes<br />
are generally used by (African)<br />
designers and carefully embedded<br />
in their designs with African prints.<br />
This has made African prints a<br />
massive opportunity for expression<br />
of creative fashion ideas, and<br />
indeed, the creation of business<br />
and financial growth. With the<br />
strong demand for the African<br />
fabrics, fashion trends will only<br />
become stronger and marketing<br />
ideas wider. It is now a reality that<br />
African fabrics are used in many<br />
areas for fashion, including, but<br />
not limited to clothes, shoes, bags,<br />
earrings, bracelets necklaces.<br />
There are many types of African<br />
fabrics; most of them are being<br />
creatively used in the fashion<br />
industry worldwide. Some of these<br />
fibres are:<br />
Aso-Oke<br />
Yoruba people<br />
Nigeria Nigeria<br />
Aso-Oke, which means top cloth<br />
in the Yoruba language, is an<br />
indigenous fabric woven by the<br />
Yoruba people of western Nigeria.<br />
It carries a higher status culturally.<br />
Although Aso -oke originated from<br />
the Western Nigeria, it is presently<br />
worn in other regions of Nigeria.<br />
Aso-Oke fibre is used to make<br />
Agbada, typical men’s gowns worn<br />
among the Yorubas. It is used for the<br />
making of iro, women’s wrappers as<br />
well as men’s hats, known as fila.<br />
20 Kata kata cartoon magazine Issue <strong>16</strong> NOV 2017 www.katakata.org
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