A Brief History of Black Influence on Fashion

This blog is dedicated used handbags, how to buy them, where to buy them, and what you should pay for them used. That may seem vapid to some, but human adornment, the expression of self through what we put on out bodies, is far from vapid. Human adornment (bags included) and expression of self is universal- it is important no matter who you are, how much money you make, or what your lived life experience has been. Interestingly though, adornment of self is influenced by all the above. Though the fashion industry hides behind a largely white facade the influence of Black designers, African and Caribbean designs, and what you could call cultural appropriation has made fashion what it is today, and has changed the way humans adorn themselves.

Prints

While there are many African prints you will recognize one of the most prominent is ankara cloth. These wax printed fabrics originated in east Africa, with particular prominence in Ghana. Also called “Dutch cloth”, these fabrics certainly did not originate in the Netherlands. The Dutch brought the practice of batik printing to Africa from Indonesia, where batik wax printing was invented. African’s took the technique to create their own highly personal prints which are used to express one’s self, one’s tribe, and are often utilized for formal occasions. While Stella McCartney and Oscar de la Renta have all been known to use these prints, original African made ankara cloth can be purchased from Afrikera.com.

Cowrie Shells

Ah the cowrie shell (also known as Puka shells) the shell of a cute little mollusk that spans the Indian Ocean, through Asia, Africa, and even with some varieties in the British Isles. Throughout known history these shells have been used for artwork, jewelry, rituals, and even currency across many regions of the world. In Africa cowrie shells have historically been seen as a sign of wealth and an object of protection. Today they are used widely among many well known clothing and jewelry designers. While you may remember getting a string of these at Wings Beachwear on a family beach trip, today Eliou and Aurelie Bidermann (to name just a few jewelry designers) propelled these little shells in to a major Gen Z jewelry trend in 2019.

Basically all Boho Dresses

Ah boho dresses, who doesn’t love them? Easy, light fabric, that is forgiving when you’ve had a bit too much pizza. If you’ve ever seen a period piece you could probably surmise that these easy flowing dresses sans corset were never of European invention. The quadrille or karabela dress– a cotton dress made traditionally of madras fabric features a ruffled neckline (frequently off the shoulder!), puffy sleeves, and a long trimmed skirt of knee or ankle length may have you thinking ‘did I just walk in to a LoveShack Fancy/Ulla Johnson/Zimmerman/countless-other Boutique?‘ No you did not. The Quadrille is of AfroCaribbean origin, historically worn for dances, and is now widely copied by every indie boho femme wear brand you can think of. Across Jamaica, Haiti, Dominica, St. Lucia, and the Virgin Islands this style of dress is nothing new, originating in the 17th century after the Quadrille dance from France gained popularity in the Caribbean. Previously these dress are made bespoke but today beautiful options can be purchased in markets in the Caribbean, or on Karabella Nations online.

Shoes

Who invented shoes? Well it’s damn near impossible to say. What is certain is ancient Africans most certainly did wear shoes. A widely popularized theory is that Africans did not wear shoes until Europeans started colonizing Africa. This is perpetuated by the fact that European slave owners, who moved slaves to the Americas, did not allow slaves to wear shoes. Interestingly enough we have Egyptians to thank for making shoes for the left and right foot separately!

While a book would needed to cover the full extent of Black influence on fashion, on this Juneteenth, I hope you leave feeling inspiration & appreciation from these few notable examples.