Forget about the knockoff Ikea bag. Discover why bold African prints are fashion's real standout
The LA Times makes a case for the cultural history embedded in African-print fashion
What sets African-print fashion apart from clothing in the West is its deeply-rooted traditions and ties to the culture and community from which the clothes are produced. Far from the "off-the-rack" model we're used to, African shoppers often commission a seamstress or tailor to construct a particular style.
"One of the first things you’ll likely learn when you visit the new exhibition at the Fowler Museum at UCLA is that the story of African fashion is the story of fashion worldwide and through the ages.The museum organized “African-Print Fashion Now! A Story of Taste, Globalization, and Style” to illustrate the origins, significance and globe-trotting history of these colorful designs. The exhibition has sections on history of the prints, vintage photography, regional fashions and contemporary uses of the fabric, and will travel to three other U.S. museums. The Fowler will print a companion book with contributions by the exhibition’s four co-curators and additional scholars.
Visitors will come away understanding that African-print cloth didn’t originate in Africa. Instead, the print style was inspired by Indonesian batiks and evolved through centuries of international trade. The free exhibition, which opened late last month, is a reminder that contemporary fashion’s mashup of eras, cultures and influences is an ancient, enduring phenomenon."— Valli Herman, Apr. 30, 2017
Read the full article at the L.A. Times website.