Nov 18, 2011

Africa: Fashion Goes Wild With Color

Known within the scientific community to be the origin of humans, Africa is the second largest continent on earth. When you think of African fashion, I’m sure your imagination goes wild. I know mine does!

African fashion equals visual art and architecture, which reflects the diversity of the African culture. Surrounded by the Atlantic ocean, Indian ocean, Mediterranean sea, red sea, Suez canal and Sinai peninsula, it’s no surprise that Africa is incredibly diverse. It’s the only continent to stretch from the northern temperate to southern temperate zones meaning the people here are able to wear anything from short shorts to kaftans, sweaters and coats depending on the climate. You name it, they wear it!

Whether you’re from north south east or west, African fashion comes down to one thing and that’s color. Beautiful fabrics and headwraps showcase the vivid colors and eye catching visual art native to the continent. Fabrics go from the Kente cloth of Ghana made of bright multicolored patterns, geometric shapes and bold designs to the richly colored Ankara design used to sew dresses, shirts and more. Ankara originated from West Africa and has now spread over most of Africa and into the east.

(above: Kente fabric and below: Ankara fabric)

The Ankra style is a must have as far as African fashion goes. It’s the west meets east trend of fashion at the moment. It has found its way into the western world and is now mainstream popping up on the red carpets and runways everywhere. The fabric is used to make beautiful modern designs by high fashion designers. With African designers like Deola Sagoe and Jewel By Lisa on the rise with their chic, feminine and fun pieces, be ready for the Ankara to take over making a permanent global name for African fashion.

Ankara Fashion Shoot (Far Left: Lady Agyeman)

And P.S., when it comes African Fashion a head wrap is a must have accessory. The bigger and brighter the fabric, the better. In Africa, the head wrap tells a story. It says something about your social class, spirituality, wealth and overall prosperity. However, you can pull off this look even if you don’t call Africa home. Just consider it a fun and funky fashion statement. And with all of the bright colors and bold patterns, you’ll want more than one! With that said, I definitely need to get started on my own head wrap collection. -Lady Agyeman, Contributing Writer