The History of African Print Fabric

African Print Fabric have become extremely popular in recent years, with the boom of afro beats and recent movie adaptations that have received immense success portraying African culture such as Black Panther and The Woman King starring A- List movie stars such as Viola Davis and Michael B Jordan. This blog will uncover and provide users with an understanding of why African Print is becoming popular.

What is African Print Fabric?

African print fabric also known as 'Kitenge' or Ankara is made with 100% cotton cloth. Countries all around Africa have adopted this fabric in their attire. African women are used as a way of nonverbal communication due to their well-known hidden meanings. Colors and symbols used in each design can symbolize an ethnic group (tribe), marriage and social status to the individual wearing the fabric.

An example of this is called the 'Nsu Bura' a popular print originating in Ghana which is an Akan word for 'water well'. The ripples of water that are visible when water is collected from a well are represented by tiny dots in the design. Symbolising whether you do good or bad can have an impact on those around you. In Nigeria, this print is known as the 'Record Disc'. Click on the link to see an example of our unique and creative fabrics: https://shorturl.at/ixEMV

How do you make African Print Fabric?

The method of producing the fabric is called Batik, a wax-resist dying technique that originates from Indonesia in which individuals print the design and colours to look the same on both sides of the fabric. The quality of the fabric entirely depends on the type of cotton cloth used.

Overall, At Khimia Designs we believe that every clothing style has a history and tells a story and we advocate for individualism and this is expressed in all our designs from clothing, accessories, swimwear and jewelry. To see more of our recent blogs click on the following link: https://shorturl.at/orA58