African Fashion Finds

Published on 14-09-2014

African fashion has been around for a long time and it’s continually evolving, so it’s little wonder it provides such inspiration for celebrities and designers the world over. It’s no surprise that Lady Gaga has been spotted in bold African prints, but many other strong women have also taken a shine to African fashion in recent years: Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, Fergie (the Blackeyed Pea, not Prince Andrew’s ex) and Rihanna to name a few. Michelle Obama often wears African-inspired fashion as a tribute to husband President Obama’s Kenyan roots. And Gwen Stefani has shown us that blondes can have just as much fun with distinctive African designs.

If you’re not a celebrity or catwalk model, the easiest way to incorporate African fashion into your wardrobe is to accessorise, and the accessory of the moment is undoubtedly the ever-adaptable scarf. Of course a scarf always looks great, but you can also use a scarf for warmth in winter or as part of your summer slip slop slap regime. Wear it around your neck in a structured French knot or a classic casual loop, wrap it around your shoulders or if you’re feeling brave you could even have a go at an African head wrap. Motherland Curios’ animal print cotton scarves are the perfect accessory as well as the perfect investment, because they will always fit even if you change size or shape. The same could be said of our range of brightly-coloured khangas (African-style sarongs), traditionally only worn by women.

However, African fashion is not only about women. Many Maasai fabrics are highly dominated by red, black and blue, to represent warfare and strength. These fabrics are used to make our kikoys (the male equivalent of khangas) in a range of simple but strong designs. And then there’s our selection of Maasai sandals. For comfortable beach chic footwear with a conscience, you can’t go past our handcrafted men’s sandals with recycled tyre soles.

Beadwork is another key element in our range of beautiful accent pieces. We have beaded belts in a number of designs for both women and men, and many of our Maasai sandals also feature intricate beadwork. They not only look amazing but each bead colour and pattern also conveys a meaning.

Just as there’s a fine line between the art and craft of Africa, the same can be said for its handcrafted fashion pieces. There is no doubting the skill of the artisan weavers, sandal makers, beadworkers, artists and other craftsmen and women who make our beautiful products. Each handcrafted artefact is transformed into fashion as soon as you put it on, which means YOU are a key piece of the puzzle.

You may be wondering why we haven’t mentioned jewellery and handbags. Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten these critical fashion staples, but African jewellery is so important it needs a blog all to itself and so does our stunning collection of bags, so watch this space!