Wearing African Fabric to Prom
There have been many stories recently from social media, showing girls and boys heading to their High School prom in traditional West African dress, sometimes with matching outfits for their…
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Wearing Wax Prints to Match the Occasion
For many wearers, the vibrancy and boldness of wax prints is an emblem of African creativity and culture. As an increasing number of designer brands, such as Burberry and Yves…
3 Modern Ways to Wear African Wax Prints
There’s no denying how beautiful, bold and versatile African wax print fabrics by Mitex Holland and Vlisco are. If you’re looking to break with tradition and experiment with contemporary styles,…
Fashion Cities Africa: Celebrating the Diversity of Africa’s Textiles
Fashion Cities Africa has been billed as the ‘first major UK exhibition dedicated to contemporary African fashion. Find out more about that in this Empire Textiles blog.
The Origins of the Wax Print
When we think of wax prints, we think African wax prints. The searingly bright and boldly patterned fabrics are synonymous with Africa. However, the history of this famous fabric, now…
African designer dresses the White House
Nigerian Duro Oluwo was one of a selection of designers drafted in to create a spectacular Christmas display at the White House in Washington DC. It has become a tradition…
African Wax Prints: Five Things you Didn’t Know.
African wax prints are hot stuff right now. Worn by celebrities such as Gwen Stefani and appearing ever more on the British high street, their bold designs and explosions of…
Guipure Lace: An Introduction
Guipure lace might not be an African invention, it started when Genoese lacemakers defected to Malta. It has, however, been embraced wholeheartedly by the African community, which has injected colour…
How to make a simple African dress
Making your own clothes is a satisfying and empowering endeavour. It affords you the option of designing something totally unique that suits you perfectly. At Empire Textiles, we specialise…
How to Wash your Wax Print Fabrics
Whether it was bestowed upon you as a gift or if you handpicked your own preferred design pattern, West African wax prints are beautiful fabrics cherished by their owners. For…