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Before you look down upon that Ankara clothing you might be wearing right now, you should know that,… just as Nigerian music is taking over the world, so is the Ankara fashion industry taking over the world of fashion.
If you look everywhere, you’d see famous international celebrities like Michelle Obama, Rihanna, Gwen Stephanie, and Beyonce, wearing Ankara fashion wears (on a regular basis).
And guess what,…
It’s not just international Celebrities that have fallen in love with Nigerian/African fashion,…. It’s everybody!
If you look at massive e-Commerce websites such as Amazon and Aliexpress, you’d discover that many Chinese companies have capitalized on this emerging Ankara trend, and are producing and selling hundreds of thousands of Ankara clothing all over the world – (through Amazon and Aliexpress).
Black people all over the world have embraced Ankara fashion as one of their regular wardrobe items (especially in America).
It is not uncommon to see African Americans (and even White people), wearing Ankara gowns to their prom nights, prom dates, Black history event gatherings, birthday parties – and even their place of work.
Types Of Ankara Styles For Men And Women
The number of Ankara fashion Styles can only limited by the creativity and ingenuity of the tailor/fashion designer.
There are literally hundreds of Ankara styles out there, and I’m going to list a few below…
- Ankara Long Gown Style (for women)
- Ankara Short Flare Gown Style (for women)
- Modern Ankara Tops or Blouses (for women)
- Ankara Jacket Style (for men and women)
- Ankara Tops (for men)
- Ankara Tops With Jeans (for men and women)
- Ankara Skirt and Blouse (for women)
- Ankara Short Nikas (for men and women)
- Ankara Trousers (for men and women)
- Ankara Office Gown Styles (for men and women)
- Ankara Off Shoulder Pencil Gown (for women)
- Ankara Styles For Kids
- Ankara Maternity Gowns
Checkout All the known Ankara Fashion Styles HERE
History Of African Print Fabric
African prints are well-noted for their intricate designs depicting African culture, tradition, and history.
Ankara fabric, also known as African wax prints fabric, Holland wax, or Dutch wax, is the textile used in the production of African prints.
Ankara fabric is well-known for its vibrant African prints and is associated with African clothing.
One of the best things about Ankara fabric is that the intensity of its African prints does not vary when compared to other printed textiles that fade quickly.
This is due to the textile’s “wax resistant” printing method.
Handcrafted African prints on Ankara fabric can be mass-produced on textile machines.
If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind African print, look for handmade Ankara, which has no two patterns the same.
Machine-made Ankara, on the other hand, is prone to imperfections and a “crackling” appearance.
Do you believe African fabrics are not indigenous to the continent?
Because there was a high demand for printed cotton in 1846, Dutch entrepreneur Pieter Fentener Van Vlissingen industrialized the process of printing on batiks, a popular Indonesian fabric.
Yes, the African textile known in East Africa as ‘Kitenge’ and in West Africa as ‘Ankara’ originated in Indonesia.
The process of creating African print fabric is known as Batik, and it involves printing designs on the cloth with wax before dying it.
The crackling appearance of the African textile is due to the wax-resist dyeing process. His company, Vlisco, was the first to introduce printed textiles to Ghana, and the fabric has since acquired an African identity.
Because of technological advancements, printed textile has become more accessible.
African fashion designers, in fact, aided in the popularization of African prints and materials.
Handcrafted African prints on Ankara fabric can be mass-produced on textile machines.
If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind African print, look for handmade Ankara, which has no two patterns the same.
Machine-made Ankara, on the other hand, is prone to imperfections and a “crackling” appearance.
Do you believe African fabrics are not indigenous to the continent? Because there was a high demand for printed cotton in 1846, Dutch entrepreneur Pieter Fentener Van Vlissingen industrialized the process of printing on batiks, a popular Indonesian fabric.
Yes, the African textile known in East Africa as ‘Kitenge’ and in West Africa as ‘Ankara’ originated in Indonesia.
The process of creating African print fabric is known as Batik, and it involves printing designs on the cloth with wax before dying it.
The crackling appearance of the African textile is due to the wax-resist dyeing process. His company, Vlisco, was the first to introduce printed textiles to Ghana, and the fabric has since acquired an African identity.
Because of technological advancements, printed textile has become more accessible.
African fashion designers, in fact, aided in the popularization of African prints and materials.
When it comes to African fashion, the imperfections of African prints, as well as the origins and colors of the textile, are regarded as distinctive and appealing.
Technology is wonderful because it allows fashion designers to incorporate modern interpretations of African prints into their designs and collections, thereby contributing to the evolution of African prints.
Ankara fabric, also known as Dutch Wax Print, has been around for a long time. The Dutch created it for the Indonesian textile market first, using a technique known as ‘Batik.’
The Indonesians invented batik by melting wax and drawing a pattern on a blank cloth. The cloth is then dyed, but the wax on the cloth prevents the dye from completely covering it. When more colors are needed, the wax-and-soak technique is repeated with new patterns.
Pieter Fentener Van Vlissingen, a Dutch merchant, popularized the method, and as demand for batik fabric grew, producers from Scotland, England, and Switzerland flocked in.
With so much Africanness and indigenous ownership, Dutch wax prints quickly became a part of African clothing. Names like “Veritable Dutch Hollandais” and “Wax” are examples.
This fabric was referred to as “Hollandais.” It was worn as a form of official attire by the wealthy and powerful of the time.
This fabric is well-noted for its vivid prints that are deeply rooted in African culture.
A distinguishing feature of the Ankara fabric is the lack of color intensity differences between the front and back sides.
In the past, women used Ankara as a nonverbal communication method, with distinct patterns serving as a common language with shared meanings.
To protect the design and demonstrate the fabric’s quality, the selvage is printed with the product name, company name, and design registration number.
Some Ankara prints are named after historical events, places, popular proverbs, and people, among other things.
The Ankara fabric is a visual communication form in which each pattern represents a different aspect of African culture.
Because of technological and civilisation advancements, the textile technology has become simpler than it was in the beginning.
Fashion designers have helped spread the Ankara fabric by using their dexterity and stretching their creativity to discover and display the fabric’s versatility.
Ankara fabrics can be combined with plain fabrics, worn with denim, and created into a variety of things such as suits, jumpsuits, playsuits, sneakers, bags, shoes, earrings, and bracelets.
Many people make money from Ankara fabric, and if you don’t want to get into fashion, you can become a dealer by purchasing the fabric from producers and supplying it to merchants and fashion designers.
