| Facts about African fashion | - Batiks and wax prints are more commonly used today in the creation of African clothing.
- The quality of the fabric and the complexity of the design differentiates everyday wear from formal wear.
- Colors in the cloths of African people posses important meaning. Meanings vary from people to people and cloth to cloth.
- Woven cloth, the oldest and most valuable type of African fabric but is the most time consuming to make.
- Styles of African fashion have evolved from the mixture of African and western cultures.
- Today, African dress influences fashion throughout the world.
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 | | West African Mali fashion |
I’m from Nigeria, West Africa, from a tribe called Igbo. The fashion in all African countries is very similar, there is only a slight difference in the way the clothes are put together and how they are worn, but the basic materials are the same. Even within Nigeria the way the different tribes dress vary. African textiles – hand woven fabrics The vibrant clothes of Africa are made using natural hand woven fabrics and throughout the African countries they are all different in texture, colours and design.
 | | Aso oke fabrics |
A popular hand woven fabric in Nigeria is called asho oke, this is a traditional cloth of the Yoruba tribe from the western part of Nigeria made using intricate designs. Asho oke is very expense and is usually used to create clothes for special ceremonies, functions and events. Another example of a natural hand woven fabric is the mud cloth, rich in blacks, browns, and white colours. This is a traditional cloth from Mali and Burkinafasso in west Africa and other central African countries. A lot of natural cotton fabrics come from Mali.
 | | African skirt suit with accessories |
The trend has really moved on in hand woven fabrics. In years gone by the only yarn used would be cotton, but now they use silk yarns and all sorts of colours to create designs, all made by hand. The materials can be used to make gents, ladies and childen's suits and also to create a head tie and a shawl for the shoulders. Africans also wear a lot of laces, especially the Nigerians. The laces vary in colour and design. Some of them can be quite expensive and are also used for women’s, men’s and children’s fashion. African textiles - African wax and wax prints
 | | African printed fabrics |
Batiks are cotton fabrics with designs painted on them using a wax technique. Batiks and wax prints are more commonly used today in the making of African garments, bedding, cushions etc... Originally African wax fabrics were imported from Holland but in the past years industries have grown in African countries that now manufacture these fabrics. African people are dark in complexion so we like to wear something that brighten us up. These fabrics reflect our passion for colour. The one thing you will find with African fashion is that most of the fabrics are natural rather than synthetic. Styles and trends
 | | Buba African fashion |
In African fashion styles vary, with each style having it's own name but all made from natural traditional fabrics. The African fashion these days marry African designs with western design. This is very popular especially with Diasporan Africans. They want to look African in their fashion but still have a bit of European influence. It looks very pretty. Even in Africa the trend is changing. For example the women are now wearing more skirt suits made from African prints, African wax, was prints and lace fabrics. Traditional African fashions
 | | African formal mens suit |
The Buba is a traditional style worn by Africans. As you know we come from a hot country and the Buba style clothing is very cool to wear and allows you to move about freely. A lot of the African fashion is loose on the body; we like to use a lot of fabric in our designs. The different styles of clothing vary from the simple loose top with long wide sleeves and a wrapper used for the skirt or trousers, together with asho oke fabric for the head tie and shawl, to the more formal and detailed outfits i.e. a traditional men’s four piece suit with intricate embroidery detail which include trousers, shirt, a big overcoat and a hat. I love African fashion I love working with African fabrics and fashions I think it’s just fantastic. I opened my shop, Anuli Fashions, in Handsworth, back in 1998, because I wanted to share the wealth of African culture, fashion and design with people in the west.
 | | Felica dressed in an African skirt suit |
But more importantly for me, dealing with African fashion has given me an opportunity to actually feel part of the wider African community because my people come to me for designs. It’s wonderful! Use the links on the right menu to take a closer look at popular African fabrics and fashion.>>> Also watch Felicia talk about her passion for African fashions on BBC Video Nation.>>> | 
