The African Print Fabric

The most popular print fabric is tagged Ankara in Nigeria, Kitenge in Burundi, Atampa in Ghana etc,

Even though the the Ankara fabric has come with lots of controversies from many quarters about it being depicted as an identity for Africans, it is widely worn by many Africans and has been used to depict the culture, lifestyle, events and heritage of Africans because of its wide acceptance in Africa. The printing is done mostly on the cotton fabric but more recently on fabrics such as silk satin, chiffon, jersey etc, using techniques and dye stuffs that dry fast, making it easy for wearing and versatile for fashion design.

Ankara has good strength; it is firm and smooth to touch and allows body heat to pass through. It absorbs moisture quickly and dries fast, an ability that gives it a cooling effect and makes it ideal for African climate. Ankara is not of African origin, however, it is majorly associated with Africa and serves as a huge symbol for Nigeria and the rest of Africa because of its tribal-like patterns and motifs.

Ankara fabric, which has a rich West African heritage, and has been popular in Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal, originally came from an Indonesian cloth named Batik; produced in Java Islands and made by hand-drawing motifs on cotton cloth with the use of wax and resist-dye. Dutch wax prints started out as cheap mass-produced imitations of Indonesian Batik. Colonial powers, particularly the Dutch and English, played heavy roles in industrializing the Indonesian Batik production techniques and popularizing the resulting textiles in foreign markets. After being colonized by the Dutch, Javanese batik was introduced to Holland and consequently to other parts of Europe but did not gain popularity. In the 19th century Dutch merchants saw that fabrics were mass produced in Europe using engraved roller print machines and dye-resistant resin to design motifs and produce a batik effect on cloth. This was done in an effort to develop foreign textiles markets for machine-produced batik imitations. The van Vlissingers, for example, were a merchant family who established their company in 1846 by bringing the mass production of batik dyed textiles to Europe, and established today’s Vlisco brand of cloth. The name Ankara originated from a girl named Ankara and was given to the cheaper version of the Dutch Wax made by the Turks which was at the reach of the poor and was considered indigenous due to its vibrant colour and motif.

How Ankara Entered West Africa
There are at least three views as to how the Ankara fabric found its way to the heart of Africans. Three of them are enumerated below;

• One view is that in the late 1800s, Dutch freighters on their way to Indonesia from Europe stocked with their machine-made batik textiles stopped at various African ports, and subsequently an African client grew base.
• Another is that the Dutch wax fabrics did not do as well as expected in the Indonesian market due, in part because of economic restrictions imposed on the sale of foreign textiles at the beginning of the 20th century to protect locally made batik textiles. It has also been suggested that the industrialised wax prints were regarded as much poorer in quality than the locally handmade batiks. In order to prevent loss, the target market switched to West Africa.
• There is also the theorized role played by West African indentured soldiers for the Dutch in Indonesia as the Black Dutchmen. They served between 1810 and 1862 and many had taken Indonesian batik with them on their return home as gifts for their families. Thereafter, local interest in the fabrics grew, and the Dutch wax prints were the closest imitation available. The role played by Black Dutchmen is questionable, because while a large number of them married Javanese women and stayed in Indonesia, those that returned to their countries of origin usually came back empty-handed due to shortcomings and delays in salary payments from the Dutch.

Regardless of how Dutch wax prints precisely entered West Africa, fabrics have been important aspects of African social life for a very long time. One can conclude that they were originally intended for the Indonesian market but found a more enthusiastic market in the Gold Coast (modern day Ghana) where they became symbols of high quality and fashion. From the Gold Coast, these fabrics spread into other West and Central African markets. The introduction of Dutch wax prints hurt the indigenous textile market, driving locally produced fabrics out of the market.

The Acceptance and Growth of Dutch Wax Prints by West Africans
In the 19th century West Africans embraced these Dutch wax prints, using and assimilating them into societies as a part of culture and self-expression. The English were manufacturing and selling wax print textiles as well, but the Dutch brands were more popular. Perhaps the Dutch were viewed as the “well-meaning” traders with West Africa, since a lot of West African nations were either under English or French colonial rule. Dutch wax prints carried, and still carry; an enormous amount of prestige and this was most likely due to their uniqueness as part of a European industry producing for export markets solely in West Africa. Dutch manufacturers of these fabrics thereafter made some changes to design and motifs in order to cater to the tastes of their new African customers which took more time and effort. Earlier design motifs used plants and animals believed to be universal to all cultures. In the 1920s prints began to feature portraits of local community leaders and chiefs in designs that people could buy to celebrate their leaders. This tradition continued into the 1950s with portraits of African heads of states and prominent politicians used as design motifs. Designs and motifs that became extremely popular and successful were given catchy names, and they had proverbs and slogans attached to them by West African traders in their respective communities, even though these appellations had nothing in common with the design of the fabrics. Due to this integration in Dutch wax prints, they are said to be “authentically African” even though they were produced and designed in Europe, presumably by Europeans with little or no African input. Yet West Africa became the exclusive markets for Dutch prints and Dutch brands have dominated the West African market since the end of the 19th century where they held importance as status symbols. Today, wax prints carrying European names are the most expensive in the West African fabric market. The Dutch brand Vlisco is a symbol of class. A wealthy person cannot be seen wearing just any wax print brand, it has to be Vlisco. The prints during this period were very expensive and unaffordable by the poor but when the cheaper version of it was made, a lot of people could afford it, hence the fabric was tagged ‘fabric of the poor’. Due to the cheapness of the fabric at this time, it was not considered to be a fabric for occasions or special events but was used as clothing for everyday wear, and then it was used in sewing wrapper and loose blouse (iro and buba).

Up until the 1960s, most wax prints sold in West Africa were being produced in Europe. Post-colonially, things changed. Currently, Ghana is home to several fine and high quality wax print manufacturers including Woodin, a subsidiary of Holland’s Vlisco and ATL which is a subsidiary of Manchester-based ABC textiles. Even though these textiles are now manufactured on the continent, the companies that manufacture them are largely not owned by Africans. Ankara fabrics are sold in 12 yards as “full piece” or 6 yards as “half piece”. The fabric company/producer, the type of fabric/product and registration number is printed on the selvage of the fabric, to notify people of the quality and to protect the designs from imitators.

The Chinese entrance into the wax print market
It hasn’t been too long since Dutch wax prints started being produced on the African continent but now the African textile industry is facing competition from China. The entrance of Chinese manufactured print textiles brings another complication into the mix, throwing a wrench in the established trade networks between West African and European cloth manufacturers. How the wax prints produced in China came into West African markets is another long story which can be summarised thus: some African traders travelled to regions in China such as Shandong to reproduce fabric samples cheaply, which were to be sold in their respective countries. Thus, African traders had a role to play in introducing Chinese manufacturers into the African textile market. With Dutch wax prints being increasingly reproduced in China, wax prints carrying ‘made in Holland’ tag are at the high end of the market, with Chinese productions occupying the opposite end. However, this is changing rapidly as the quality of Chinese wax print copies is apparently improving. The manufacturer based in Manchester was recently bought by a Chinese company, leaving Vlisco as the only European-owned producer of wax prints.

The resurgence of Ankara was brought about by the ban imposed on importation of textile in 2003 by former President of Nigeria, President Obasanjo in an attempt to develop the non-oil sectors thereby reducing the pressure of dependency on the oil sector. Ankara, a once before cheap fabric meant for the poor has undergone a dramatic transformation and has become the fabric of not only the poor but the rich and the famous. In time past, Ankara was regarded as too flowery and colourful and was reserved for cultural activities but nowadays, the dramatic transformation has turned it to a sizzling fashion fad and an inevitable part of all occasions. It even started appearing in workplaces and business districts on Fridays! The exponent of the use of Ankara in sewing different styles of skirt and blouse was by late Mrs. Stella Obasanjo. As the First Lady of the nation, she showcased Ankara in different styles in special occasions and events. The use of Ankara by the First Lady influenced Nigerian women in using Ankara to sew different fascinating styles. The independent countries started building their own textile factories to create designs that would tap even deeper into their culture. Foreigners, eager to get a souvenir of their visit to Africa quickly purchased the cheap fabric.

The Nigerian Aso Ebi dress tradition for special occasions such as wedding, chieftaincy burial, coronation and other special events is another factor that brought about the resurgence of Ankara, due to this tradition, the fabric is now worn by all classes of people.

Fashion Trends in Ankara
Ankara has infiltrated the fashion world, it has gone beyond its use for wrapper and loose blouse and is now enjoying the favour of contemporary fashion styles; By the year 2000, African fashion designers were becoming more prominent and started using it to create exclusive designs. Soon Ankara blouses and shirts were worn over jean trousers and Fashion designers began to promote the fabric through their work to international acclaim. Around 2010 most celebrities like Beyonce and Alicia Keys were already rocking the material. Solange Knowles has been renowned for her apt blending of Ankara fabric patterns in her outfits. It has entered men’s wardrobe too, a drastic change from the 90’s when wearing Ankara everyday was a ‘woman’s thing’.

Some of the names given to the designs are ‘Alakete’, ‘Osubamba’, ‘Mgbolodi’ ‘osupaeleso’. Igbanlahun’, some of which are also names of designs on Adire cloths of the Yorubas. The symbols and motifs used in African art, prints inclusive, often convey meanings. They are icons that have been used for over a period of time and they have specific meaning among the people. Some of the motifs used in African prints include geometric shapes, lines, Arabic scripts, Roman letters and numerals, animal forms, flowers, leaves, seeds, musical objects, line drawing of contemporary objects such as bicycle, cars, television, etc. The designs can be grouped into four: Women’s life (family, love, housework), Town life and what it brings, (alphabet, television, money, power), Nature (animals, flowers, seeds, leaves) and Rhythms (music, drums). The design with bottle opener showcase town life with bottle opener depicting the power it brought. Designs and colour in African prints can also portray the wearer’s tribal origin, marital status, societal standing as well as age. The dice-design is a symbol of nobility and is usually worn by the elderly women.

Ankara has invaded the fashion scene of Africa and its taking an edge over other popular fabrics such as guinea, the Yoruba Adire, Tie and Dye, Kampala and the rest. However, the popularity and proliferation of the fabric seems to have concealed its origin even from the people that patronize and believed it to be a traditional fabric of Africa. Although, the fabric has been in existence in Africa for quite a long period of time and has been re-christened and nationalized as Ankara the fact still remains that it is not an African fabric but was embraced by Africans due to its variety and vibrant colour and motif which are peculiar to African fabrics, its texture which is suitable for African climate, its affordability, ease of maintenance and on a greater strength its versatility. The fabric was believed to be of African origin because of the huge market Africa has for it and the fact that it is mostly worn by them. The fabric is traditionally designed and manufactured in European factories by the Europeans and exported to West Africa while the patterns are adapted from Indonesian Batik. Ankara, though not of African origin is embraced by Africans. It has its own virtue, whether it is the expensive one or not, when tailored in the right way as an entity or mixed with other contemporary fabrics, it looks more gorgeous and graceful. Nigeria being the fashion conscious part of Africa, through the creative skill of the designers, have taken the fabric, explored it, improved it and show cased it to the world in an infinite creative applications. 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. To many, the Ankara fabric has become a wardrobe staple already. The fabric is now being used to make a growing number of fashion items; bags, shoes, dresses, jewellery and countless accessories. 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. Polyester is now a part of the component of Ankara, apart from cotton in order to produce more of the cheaper options.

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.

The Ankara movement now has its designs and motifs expressed in silk, chiffon, jersey, sequins to allow for more versatility and textile expressions as a way of increasing the appeal. The 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.