VENTURES AFRICA – From the streets of Lagos, to countless
boardrooms, to catwalks all over the world, the Ankara fabric has
proven to be so versatile that it is now recognized on the global
fashion scene. A number of celebrities have been spotted in Ankara
ensembles on red carpets globally. To many, the Ankara fabric has
become a wardrobe staple already.
The fabric is used to make a growing number of fashion items;
bags, shoes, dresses, jewellery and countless accessories. This
development has led to a change in the general perception of the
Ankara fabric worldwide. According the article Fashion Reborn:
Blends of African outfits from Ankara, by fibre2fashion “Destiny of
the ‘once before’ cheap Ankara fabrics, have undergone a magical
transformation. Elegant creativity of the designers has made it a
preferred choice of the rich and celebrities.” The African print fabric
has metamorphosed from cultural attire to a glamorous wardrobe
must-have and right now the spotlight is on Africa.
This Ankara trend has impacted the West African economy in a lot
of ways and thus, the Nigerian economy. In the mid- 1980s, there
were around 180 functional textile mills in Nigeria. The mills
employed approximately a million people, this accounted for more
than 60 percent of the textile industry capacity in West Africa,
empowering millions of households across all geopolitical zones of
Nigeria. This however changed shortly as the sector crashed into an
industrial abyss. During this period, the number of textile companies
dropped from about 180 to almost zero. This was revealed by an
article on Nigeria’s textile economy titled: Nigeria’s Textile Industry
on a Rebound?.
However, in recent times, the sector has rebounded. The number of
functioning textile companies has risen once more to 25. While the
industry may not be at its former place of glory, a steady incline can
be noted in the growth of the industry which is largely due to the
current global Ankara trend.
The rise in the demand of the fabric which was not too long ago
considered to be a fabric for the poor or restricted to cultural
festivities due to its brightly coloured patterns and relative low cost,
has led to a corresponding rise in the production of the material.
Also, aside from the lower priced brands, a lot more textile factories
have started producing the Ankara fabric in more appealing and
sophisticated designs.
Furthermore, due to the ready availability of Ankara in the local
market, it has become the preferred choice of fabric when making
custom designed outfits. What was once considered to be a local
market has grown exponentially to meet the increasing demands for
the fabric worldwide. African designers and their Ankara designs are
now sought out in all the echelons of the global society. The Ankara
fashion industry has proven to be a veritable goldmine in these
ways and many more.
A lot of Ankara fashion shows spring up daily all over the global
fashion scene. One of the more noteworthy ones is the annual
Ankara Festival hosted yearly in Los Angeles, California. The festival
or AFLA as it is commonly known was created in 2010 with the goal
of increasing the visibility of African Culture through fashion, Arts,
music, dance, and food. The festival aims to showcase Modern
African Designs in African Print (Ankara), established African and
African inspired designers, young up and coming designers,
providing them a venue to showcase their abilities, and develop their
entrepreneurial ambition in the international fashion arena. Another
notable development is the Ankara Invasion. This has been adopted
as the collective name for the current global Ankara trend. Different
items fashioned out of the Ankara fabric are now spotted in places
where it was once viewed as unsuitable.
As Duro Olowu -a Nigerian fashion designer- said, “For a long time,
there was a sense that this was limited to Africa but now it has
become global. Combined with an awareness of social
responsibility, it makes for a powerful statement.” Countless
international designers have launched various new designs
revolving around the Ankara fabric. Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Eley
Kishimoto, Jean Paul Gaultier, Diane Von Furstenberg, Gwen Stefani,
Dries van Noten, Kenzo and Paul Smith among others have included
items fashioned out of Ankara fabric in their recent collections.
A lot of renowned celebrities have also taken to this fashion trend.
Beyoncé Knowles, Rihanna, Fergie and Kim Kardashian to name a
few, have adopted the Ankara fabric and have been spotted in
daring designs using one or more fabrics. The rise on the trend isn’t
restricted to celebrities alone. A lot of foreigners who have seen the
designs at work, on TV or even at school have joined the movement.
It is not uncommon to find people wearing the fabric who may not
even know the traditional name. The fabric is commonly referred to
in these circles as “African Print”.
The overnight explosion of the use of Ankara fabric on the global
fashion scene is perhaps one of the most notable fashion trends to
have emerged from Africa over the last couple of years. The Ankara
fabric is one that is very versatile and constantly evolving to meet
today’s fashion fads. Hence, one may go as far as saying that the
fabric and the trend have come to stay on the global fashion
market.
By Deborah Pearl Okoruwe.

www.ventures-africa.com/2014/07/global-ankara-trend-the-colourful-fabric-revolutionizing-international-fashion/