Posts Tagged ‘Tribal Prints’

Found some beautiful Chitenge fabrics on a recent trip to Zambia. The ladies wear them mostly as skirts or make gowns and head wear out of these beautifully printed fabrics.

The waxed fabrics are made out of cotton or polyester and are similar to the South African Shwe shwe fabrics. The texture is hard and the fabrics need to be washed a few times until they become soft and ready to wear.

This African swimwear brand is one of my favourites! Bantu’s mission is to introduce the world to African beach culture by creating a hot line of beach and resort wear, accessories and skincare products using indigenous prints, labor and materials. All 100% made in Africa – says Yodit Eklund, Bantu’s founder.

Yodit has started Bantu in 2008 to show the world that there are amazing things that come from Afirca, fashion that can compete with many international brands – it was important for her to make people realize that Africa is not only about black diamonds, pirates and war. There are so many beaches in Africa, from Cape Town to Casablanca and from Dakar to Zanzibar which made Yodit create an ambassador program that pairs underprivileged kids with surf instructors who will teach them the fun of surfing. Her desire to create awareness around Africa and the desire to give back to the African community by creating jobs makes this brand unique.

The Bantu bikinis are reversible – they combine colourful prints copied from traditional wax cloth fabrics onto the swimwear material Lycra and the Brazilian cut for the sexy look of an African queen.

For more information check out: www.bantuwax.com – loving the tunes on the cool website by the way…