Are you a fashion freak? If you are, then you might agree with me that Ghanas fashion industry has witnessed a latest trend, which has been inspired by African print designs.
Before I get to the reasons why the Ghanaian African wear styles have come to stay, let me take you back to how African print evolved.
When Europeans arrived in Africa, one such area which caught their attention was the fashion and designs inspired in Africa. At the time, batik- a print technique which had already made way to Indonesia, with its elaborated pattern became the face of the African print.
The African men in the Dutch army at the time then brought these fabrics and brought them home.
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However, when the Dutch decided to bring the fashion to the mainstream, they had a greatest difficulty, and that was with the machines used in manufacturing the prints. Thus, patronage for the print dropped following poor designs that were being produced as a result of faulty machines. So the Dutch decided to look for a new market for the prints, and subsequently found its way to Africa.
Reasons why the trend has come to stay
1. Runways of top fashion shows using Ghanaian African wear styles
From the year 2010 till now, Ghana's fashion industry has become increasingly exposed to Ghanaian African print styles. Great Fashion designers like Kofi Ansah, Joyce Ababio have come out with impeccable designs that have caught the eyes of people both Ghana and abroad. Runways are glittering with the work of designers who stitch their models in African prints. From fashion shows in Ghana like the famous 1957 Runway, Glitz Fashion week, all the way to Ghana Fashion week, the use of various African print designs has subsequently increased the demand of Ghanaians for African print on the market.
2. Celebrities adopting African elements in their fashion statements.
Ghanaian African print wear styles have gradually made a mark in the world of Ghana's celebrities and fashionistas. The issue is no more about which celebrity is wearing African prints, but who has rocked it. During Ghana's event shows like Ghana Music Awards, Movie premiers, Ghana Movie Awards, Radio and Television Awards, and the likes, celebrities, fashionistas, and the general public usually roll the red carpets of the various shows with their beautiful, well-crafted and intricate designs.
Ghanaian couples have increasingly moved away from white-weddings to the use of African prints. Couples are seen adorning vibrant patterns, in beautiful wax print and kente cloths.
Men often wrap the cloth around their bodies and drape it over their shoulders, with women exposing their feminine curves and looking splendid in their pretty designs.
Even if the couple decides to go all white, their bridal train is usually seen in African prints. The trend makes wedding receptions colourful and reinforces the West African pride, with guests getting attracted to the intricate designs.
4. Ghanaian workers using African print for everyday work
The preference of some young women, particularly the career women, on the sort of dresses they wear to work has increasingly changed. Several of them have adopted very colourful and captivating designs crafted with African prints. With the guys, there is some sort of elation when they are seen at work in their well design shirts and other kinds of dresses made with African prints. Ghana adopted a Friday wear policy under former President John Kufuor's tenure, which saw an increase in this trend around the year 2002. Now, these African prints are worn all the time, irrespective of the day of work.
5. Women sending out messages with the Ghanaian African wear and styles
Many of the wax print designs on our African print designs have meanings, and as such many wear them to communicate a hidden message. Some patterns in the print have tortoises on them, with others having large fans in bold and dazzling colors. Elephants, birds, umbrellas seen in many of the prints all have meanings. For example, women wear Sika Wo Antaban, to mean "Money has wings". Others are Akyekydeɛ akyi, meaning the "back of a tortoise", showing how resilient or protected one can be when in such clothes.
And the most popular is the 'Gramaphone' Pl3te, which is more worn among the Ga people from the Greater Accra region. The term simply means Gramophone plate, which looks like vinyl disc used with the gramophone player to play music.