A Brief History of Wax Prints
West African fabrics and wax prints have an interesting and (literally) colourful history. West African textiles have always existed, but it was Dutch settlers in the 19th century who helped…
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Where Do African Tribal Prints Come From?
African prints known as Ankara have gained popularity over the last five years, with many designers choosing these eclectic tribal-patterns and motifs to brighten up summer and autumn collections. Where…
A Guide To African Fabrics And Jewellery
Supplementing west African fabrics with jewellery is a great way to personalise your outfit while giving it an extra touch of panache. However, we offer a wide variety of different…
Combining West African Fabrics With British Counter-Culture
Britain is famous for its wide range of alternative fashions. The nation’s counter-cultural clothing ranges from the heavily-customised, rough-and-ready outfits that characterised the punk movement to the sharp suits favoured…
Working With Wax Prints.
Initially, Wax prints were designed and produced in Holland for the Indonesian market as an alternative to batik. When the sales were not as high as expected another outlet was…
How can Lace be Used to Supplement and Improve African Fabric Outfits?
Here at Empire Textiles, we offer a wide variety of lace (including Guipure Lace and French Lace) alongside our printed wax fabrics, head ties and other products. This is because…
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…
West African textiles take centre stage in Philadelphia, USA
A new exhibition has launched at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, titled ‘Creative Africa’. From centuries-old sculpture and architecture to contemporary photography and fashion, ‘Creative Africa’ is combining innovation and…
What Are Vlisco Fabrics?
Although Vlisco fabrics were created in 1846, they still have a resounding impact on the fashion, design and art worlds of today, as well as being an essential part of…
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.