'Black Panther' movie fuels demand for African Fashion - and curvacious women love it

"Black Panther" sets off African Fashion trend

Father/daughter duo; those smiles say it all!

"The movie is going to put a lot of new designers on the map"

Ark-Vayo

African fashion on display at early 'Black Panther' shows - WeAreIowa
Feb 16, 2018 -

The vibrant African fashion of "Black Panther" was on display at multiplexes around the country as moviegoers flocked to the first showings of Marvel's latest superhero blockbuster in traditional African shirts, dresses, head wraps and more. Some opted to make their own clothes to celebrate ...
In the nearly 10 years since Marvel's "Iron Man" sparked sprawling film superhero universes, there have been plenty of chances for fans to wear clothes that pay homage to favorites such as Spider-Man, Batman, the Hulk and more.
But "Black Panther" has sparked something different - an opportunity for black moviegoers to watch a superhero who not only looks like them, but also introduces a different view of Africa than has traditionally been seen at theaters. Set in the fictional nation of Wakanda, a technologically advanced oasis that has never been colonized, the film has been praised for its vision of Afrofuturism, strong and smart female characters and a story that shatters stereotypes about the continent and its people.

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Babies get in on the act

Oh and mommy designed the cupcake print Chiya is wearing while interning at Global Mamas in Ghana

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Our son-in-law Webb Kranto is a native of Liberia.

Our daughter Claire met him in college, and he inspired her to focus on African inspirations for her fashion design line. Her professors loved her work, but

The college banned her original designs at the annual Fashion Show.

Because... wait for it...

Collection of Ankara and Aso Ebi Lovely Styles 2017

No women Bigger than size 0 or 2 Allowed on the Runway!

I wanted to smear-campaign the school for banning her line of ethnic fashion for full-figured or not-skeletal women. Claire had a better idea. Undaunted, she and Webb flew to Dallas, Texas AND to Washington, D.C., during their last semester of college, and showed the Kranto line at national Fashion Week expositions.

Ark-Vayo original designed by Claire, 2018

Ed Arthur wrote in The African Magazine

Claire Kean, an apparel, merchandising and design major at Iowa State University, has recently gained publicity in the fashion world after garments from her clothing line were displayed at an African fashion show in Texas. Now that the African Fashion Week is set to transpire in Washington, D.C. on March 21st, Kean’s clothing line is set to draw more attention on the runway.
African Fashion Week will mainly showcase flamboyant garments intended for African women between ages 18 to 35. Kranto Kolection (now Ark-Vayo) will be a good fit for the event: “They still want to represent the culture through the fabric I’m using, but also still be stylish according to what’s stylish in the U.S. right now,” Kean said.
(Ark-Vayo) uses wax print, fabric that retains high amounts of dye, to render garments as colorful as possible. Kean discovered wax prints during an internship in Ghana and was ... impressed by the hard-working women who labored over steamy vats of boiling dye and melted wax in the hot sun, stirring heavy, wet fabric, often with a baby at their hips.
(Ark-Vayo's) look was influenced by the tastes of West African women interviewed by Kean during her internship in Ghana. Kean discovered that feminine clothing in West Africa strives for a “really feminine look” that emphasizes the hourglass figure and has since tailored her designs to fit such look...

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Posted by soumanou9 On March 03, 2015

Iowa State student takes African fashion designs nationwide

Southridge boutique features locally designed, African-inspired clothing and accessories

Claire and Webb work to support fair trade and empower local West Africans who produce accessories as well.
Designer Shoes by Ark-Vayo

Here we have a Steemit member knitting her own scarves inspired by the Black Panther movie:

@glacialknits

Black Panther Inspired Knit Cowl

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'Black Panther' energizes interest in African fashion By Ileana Najarro

"The movie is going to put a lot of new designers on the map," she said.
Both Brown and Ephraim are already working up designs for fall collections paying homage to the film. They are inspired by the filmmakers' approach in adding a futuristic twist to the character's traditional clothes, such as blankets that double as force-field-shield generators.
At Melodrama Boutique, Adams is placing orders for African designs that can be worn to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo such as cowboy boots with fringe and African adornments.
As fanfare over the film continues to grow, Adams sees the potential for more African-Americans to not only embrace and explore their African history through fashion, but also to support black-owned businesses.

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AFRICAN FASHION IS HAVING A REVOLUTION ... IN PUERTO RICO By Amberly Alene Ellis

Congolese-Tanzanian entrepreneur Fatima Kanji
Pensar Africa (Think Africa), is bringing ethically produced, 100 percent African-made products to Latin America. She works with tailors, artists and small-scale business owners across the continent to produce beautiful, original cloth, fashion and home goods. It started as an idea in 2014 after she noticed that much of the African fabric sold around the world was not made in Africa, but in Asia.
Even in Kanji’s home country of Tanzania, Chinese and Indian imports of African fabrics now dominate the market. It is cheaper and, because it is mass-produced, more abundant in the local markets. The ironic result? The livelihoods of traditional African craftsmen and women making authentic African fabric are in rapid decline.
After several years of living abroad in Australia, the United States and the U.K., Kanji settled in Puerto Rico and discovered an unexpected market for her handmade wares. A growing number of Puerto Ricans who claim and celebrate their African heritage has given her young business a foothold on the island. Pages on Instagram, such as AfrosinSanJuan with 12,000 followers, are capturing the movement to embrace natural hair, as more and more Puerto Ricans are identifying as Afro-Latino.
Kanji is proud to be a part of what she considers a positive trend and is hoping to open her own shop where she can continue to share her culture with the world.

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Iowa African Ethnic Organizations - Iowa International Center

Lecture: "Fashion as Fine Art: African Expressions"

Africa's fashion production, past and present, tells vivid stories about local histories and global networks of goods and images. These garments reveal profound ideas about changing conceptions of tradition, modernity, and the balance of these broad categories in contemporary African cultures. (Lecture by Professor Victoria Rovine)

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2018 African Print Dresses: Best Stylish and Stunning collection of African Dresses For Slayers

Just Sit Back, Relax And Get Dazzled By This Stylish and Stunning Video of 2018 African Print Dresses.
The Very Best Ankara, Aso ebi, African Clothing Styles, African Styles and African Fashion
Hot, Crispy And Fresh.

African Dresses Styles 2018 : Best Of Best Trendy African Dresses via @YouTube
Maboplus Published on Mar 2, 2018

2018 African Print Styles: Stylish Ankara Collection for African Women via @Maboplus.com

African Dresses Styles 2018 : Best Of Best Trendy African Dresses

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