Yes, Africa is in the house. Ase o!
African fabrics and prints are what it’s all about, even in “mainstream” fashion. Beyonce does it. Kelis does it. Mya does it. Solange been doing it.
But so does Gwen Stefani, Kim Kardashian and Amber Rose. African print is ALL the rage.
Now star watching isn’t something I usually do a lot of. But wear African inspired prints and fashion, and you’ve got my attention.
By now, everybody knows about Solange’s transition to natural hair, as well as her taking the world of fashion by storm. And by now, most everybody even knows that she’s tired of talking about her hair and whether it is more than just a style, but a statement. So we expected to see a little African-style flavor on her. It’s the rest that are more surprising.
But it shouldn’t be. African print is the trend. So in. So now.
So if you know me, you know I gotta find out where all this is coming from. I know it’s happened before, most notably with the African Masai dress a few years ago. But what’s happening now?
I mean, are the African inspired fashions we’re seeing right now the work of African designers that are finally being recognized? Or is this mostly the work of “mainstream” (white) designers? Are the fabrics authentic African prints? Is any Black person seeing a nickel of it? And will it last? Will at least some of the African designers have even a token place at Fashion Week in the future because of all of this? Or is it just another trend?
Well all this is way too much to cover in one blog post, so hang in there with me while I do a little poking around.
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Until then, feel free to enjoy photos of some of the stars sighted in African inspired fashion.
‘Til next time…
Ta Ankh (Patricia Heath)
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| To be honest, I'm not sure who all these people are. I know most of them. Just not all of them. |
