Ankara is a fabric that is predominantly associated with Africa because of its vibrant colors, patterns and motifs. It never goes out of style as I have seen several patterns used during my mother’s youthful days make an audacious comeback. This fabric does not only have a huge impact in the African fashion scenes but is a symbol of culture and heritage as many African households have pictures of babies swaddled in Ankara; I am one of them.

The beauty of this fabric is that you can find a variety of pattern choices in the market and take it to your tailor who would HOPEFULLY produce a bespoke outfit for you. The key is to find a great tailor or designer, because he or she can bring your fabric to life or to a disillusioned piece of clothing.

My mother took my measurements and gave it to her tailor about 5 years ago and I am still rocking the outfits in different ways. I decided to ditch the outfit bottoms because they were too flamboyant for what I wanted so I infused a modern twist to them.

One can wear them with a pair of jeans and heels (or flats) to create an afro-chic look. It can also be worn with a pencil skirt to accentuate the body and draw attention to the fabric.

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