Afrika ontdekken in textiel

In 2 Spraak, we focus on contemporary Africa in terms of fashion and culture. Just like Europe, Africa is overrun with cheap textiles. Yet, there are also beautiful “Made in Africa” ​​fabrics available. Fabrics that often tell a symbolic story and are usually made from natural materials. For example, Ugandan bark cloth can certainly be used to make modern blazers and hats. But there’s so much more to discover!

For example, are we familiar with Bògòlanfini, also known as mud cloth? This cloth has become a symbol of cultural identity in Mali, or the Kitenge, a colorfully printed black cotton fabric from Kenya. And what about the wax print, invented in the Netherlands in 1850 for the Indonesian market, but they didn’t find the print beautiful or perfect enough. Manufacturers sought a new market, and the wax print became a fashion bomb and remains enormously popular in West Africa to this day. This wax print still determines the fashion scene and African producers also make the most beautiful fabrics and prints.