The millennial generation's embrace of African prints ensures that vintage wear has come full circle. For a long time, African prints were viewed as "uncool", and mostly confined to our parents' wardrobes. Now a new breed of fashionable and creative youth is redefining these traditional fabrics, not only making them trendy, but also, just like the sweeping natural hair wave, a statement of our identity.
The Kitenge, Kente and Ankara (collectively referred to as African print) are all characterised by vibrant colours and patterns. They became popular in post-colonial East and West Africa, perhaps because the thick fabric was functional and long-lasting. They were used to tailor everything from head wraps to waist wraps to baby slings. With African print's recent resurgence into the mainstream, it's not uncommon to now see them used on trendy runway outfits, office wear, edgy swimsuits and bikinis (like the ones worn by Beyoncé and Jay Z on a recent holiday), designer high heels and wedges, hair accessories, clutches and handbags, backpacks, hoodies, lunch bags, pillow cases, passport covers and more.
It's not just these three fabrics that are enjoying a renaissance. Previous ethnic-defining fabrics such as the Maasai Shuka and the Swahili Kanga are also finding new life in contemporary trends.
The easily recognisable red plaid Maasai Shuka is probably the most iconic tribal brand anywhere in the world. It's beauty and simplicity lends itself to modern fashion - sometimes to its own detriment, like in the cases of cultural appropriation by luxury brands including Louis Vuitton for their Spring/Summer 2012 collection. But while the appropriation debate still rages, the fact remains that the Maasai Shuka has crossed the tribal borders into the rest of the world. Singer Pharrell went full-on Maasai warrior for a British GQ magazine cover while our very own Lupita Nyong'o brought the look to the 2014 MTV Movie Awards, combining it with cultural accessories of the Ndebele tribe, the Maasai's distant relatives to the south.
Commonly referred to as a 'leso', the Kanga, a garment used as a body wrapper by East African women since the 19
th century, is also setting roots in the fashion world. It's famous for its colourful, symmetrical design and embroidered sayings at the bottom, which range from wise Swahili proverbs to witty, self-affirming mantras. Kangas were the statement tees even before statement tees existed. The Kanga has now been re-fashioned into trendy pencil skirts, crop tops, cold shoulder tops and dera dresses for women and even sandals and bangles for men.
African fabrics have come a long way to being accepted as fashionable. With their diverse spectrum and uniqueness, it's easy to see them leading the trends - at least here in Kenya - for years to come.
