By: Oscar De Castro

Ankara fabrics, also known as African wax prints, are a vibrant and colorful textile introduced to West Africa by Dutch merchants during the 19th century, who took inspiration from native Indonesian designs. They are cotton fabrics that use Batik printing, an Indonesian technique, to make lines of wax that resist the dye and, therefore, create artisan colors that have become synonymous with West African attire. Initially used by Nigerian Hausa tradesmen, Ankara refers to “Accra,” a hub for African prints in the 19th century.

Wax prints are a type of nonverbal communication among African women. Accordingly, wax prints are named after personalities, cities, buildings, sayings, and occasions, with no two roles of fabric being made the same. The costly production of wax fabrics has created a market for imitation through printing procedures. Their commercialization has taken away from their artist's work, who often labor over a piece for months. There is a worry that many of these generational weavers will disappear within this century.

Ankara made its fashion debut in the United States at NYFW in 2021 under Maxhosa Africa Spring/Summer 2021 collection. The “Ingumangaliso Imisebenzi Ka Thixo” or “God’s Work is Miraculous” collection delivered on the fronts of expected artistry, finesse, and flair. Their runaway feature burned bright in 2021 with bright geometric patterns and luxe woven separates in vivid hues of scarlet red, cobalt blue, dandelion yellow, and tiger orange. Rather than fire models, it was modeled by South African celebrities from rapper Riky Rick to Miss South Africa 2019 Zozibini Tunzi, who strutted triumphantly down the catwalk to the rhythmic melodies of Ami Faku. Their success has brought meteoric interest from international audiences and has paved the way for future African fashion houses at NYFW.