
Fabric shop in 'Little Africa' district of Paris - Photo : Lisanga Vibes
What is the 'famous Wax' ?
The famous “Ankara” , “Wax” or “Kitenge” fabric, which bears all these different names depending on the country where you live, has become overtime a real cultural reference to Africa, its diaspora and their fashion style.
Yet, originally, it had nothing to do with the continent!
This javanese cloth was introduced in Africa by dutch and british companies once they realised its huge potential there rather than in its original local market in Indonesia.
Today, it is true that you can find Ankara produced in Africa by Africans and we always gave the patterns funny names to illustrate their meaning and stories. Nevertheless, the most famous and cherished by our mothers for its premium quality remains the dutch wax…