THE ANKARA TREND

Virtually every piece of clothing /accessory has its Ankara equivalent. Skirts,blazers,bangles,shoes,handbags, you name it! These accessories can be worn with jeans for the regular day outing or with a pretty dress on a date! The Ankara fabric has won the hearts of many, both home and abroad since it gained prominence in the fashion world, particularly in the year 2009, showcasing at The African Collective in New York, British Vogue Magazine and Vlisco Urban Beat. Gone are the days when the Ankara was termed too colourful, reserved for traditional festivities, weddings and family thanksgiving on Sunday. The Ankara fabric now graces red carpets, major runways in the world as well as top beauty magazines. Top celebrities all over the world rock the trend. Fashion designers both home and abroad make use of this brightly patterned print in their collections.

Its beauty,versatility, colorfulness and affordability are only a few qualities of the Ankara that make this African fabric stand out. The incorporation of  the Ankara print by African designers in their collections as well as intense media exposure has seen to the proliferation of the Ankara print in the fashion industry. Deola Sagoe, Ituen Basi, Duro Olowu, Christie Brown, Lisa Folawiyo are  a few designers who are responsible for transforming this local trend to the hottest thing worldwide. Lisa Folawiyo’s line, Jewel By Lisa (JBL) is my personal favourite as every piece from her collection is handcrafted. JBL was the first fashion line to introduce beaded/embellished Ankara and uses the highest grade Ankara from Vlisco.  Her celebrity clients include Kelis, Eku Edewor and Solange.

Internationally, fashion designers like Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Gwen Stefani, Eley Kishimoto have also fallen in love with African print and use same in their collections.
The Ankara trend continues to evolve every season with new prints and styles coming out every now and then. In the year 2013, I hope to see more combinations of the Ankara with other fabrics like lace,chiffon,etc. I also wish to see other Afrcan prints like the Aso Oke and Adire becoming more popular.What do you look forward to in the year 2013 as regards the use of African print, especially the Ankara fabric in the fashion industry?