Njideka Akabogu
Stella McCartney is not in the good books of many Nigerians. A few months ago, an editorial for the English brand that was supposedly shot in Lagos by Nadine Ijewere raised a few eyebrows because the location looked nothing like the Lagos anyone knows.
The brand founded by legendary singer Paul McCartney’s daughter is in the Nigerian news once again and it’s not for a good reason.
Their Spring/Summer 2018 collection showcased at the Paris Fashion Week yesterday featured Ankara prints in designs that looked like it might have been inspired by your favourite African aunty.
Even though the Ankara prints did not wholly originate from Africa (its origin has been traced back to Netherlands), it has over the decades been adopted by Africans and associated with Africa – even referred to as African prints by a lot of people, people are still going off on the designer tagging her use of the prints and the designs as cultural appropriation.
And rightly so because as one Twitter user pointed out, the Ankara might have originated from Dutch but it’s Africans who wear it.
But the wax print has taken on a decidedly West African hue. The Dutch don’t wear it. You know what it is when you see it.
— T. Rankïn’ ∆ (@AfroVII) October 4, 2017
You don’t see Ankara and think “Netherlands”. So, history is dope. Context, even better.
— T. Rankïn’ ∆ (@AfroVII) October 4, 2017
Further, you can’t say (West) Africans “appropriated” the Dutch Wax Print, aka, Ankara. We are the reason the industry still exists.
— T. Rankïn’ ∆ (@AfroVII) October 4, 2017
Also worthy of mention is that, for a collection that was no doubt inspired by the African culture, African/black models were almost non-existent in the show.
See a few of the reactions below.
So are we going to talk about Stella McCartney using Ankara prints,
meanwhile there was only ONE African model on her runway?!???? pic.twitter.com/ljrvfNYMNK— Amarachi Nwosu (@AmaraWorldWide) October 2, 2017
Today in Paris ???????????????????????????????? ????????? pic.twitter.com/46ZPSa8P5O
— Fisayo Longe (@FisayoLonge) October 2, 2017
Wow! So Stella McCartney steals my Gradma’s fashion trends, (literally, we make these in 20 to 30 mins! It’s… https://t.co/1jiJZ1VASo
— Stephanie Iwuaba (@CosAmPosh) October 4, 2017
Something my mum has been wearing for years when she wants to make stew https://t.co/V30QYaoOHV
— Fouréns (@NnennaSays_) October 3, 2017
Ankara dresses that Mr Folarin will make for less than 10k. Smh https://t.co/SbGbwL6WCo
— FK. (@fkabudu) October 2, 2017
Trying to understand why Stella McCartney ‘s SS18 ‘African inspired’ collection had no more than 5 black models in the show… ???? pic.twitter.com/Zz9sU1iEF0
— FIUS COLLECTIVE (@FiusCollective) October 2, 2017
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