If You Love Africa – Batiq & Tribal Trends Are Here to Stay

I often have conversations with my Italian father in law about what "beauty" is. He is quite possibly the best artisan on the planet for exotic leather belts meaning if you design a belt on paper and hand it to him, he will turn it into a leather masterpiece. This man transforms leather into something beautiful and has worked with designers of every major label on the planet for their runway collections. He is renown as having "good taste" and believes that beauty is universal.

He says: "no one can deny that something is beautiful, anyone in the world can look at Da Vinci's "La Gioconda" (the Mona Lisa) and know she is a work of art" .

But I disagree with him.

Our concept of beauty is completely subjective and wholly dependent on our cultural, economic and social backgrounds. In fact, many of the images in European or North American magazines of "beautiful" women would never be considered desirable in societies that value things like "hips"!

Much in the same way fashion has often shunned certain materials and textiles. I remember growing up in Ontario, Canada my mother LOVED wearing saris. (*I'm totally giggling as I write this*). Think of a little Italian woman in Canada in a full on multi-colored sari!

My dad hated when my mom wore "Indian clothes" and yet her closet was FULL of beautiful saris or dresses made with traditional indian fabrics. We were living in a subdivision at the time, a hot bed for new immigrants from India and Pakistan and my mom worked with these people, shopped from them and was friends with them. She appreciated their culture and the beauty of their fabrics and really loved wearing saris...they are super comfortable btw!

She could care less that it was unpopular at the time for non-Indian women to wear them, she appreciated their beauty and that's what mattered. This is pretty rare, let's say most people venture into "ethnic" fabric only after widespread approval after a fashion authority confirms that YES INDEED these fabrics and designs are beautiful and "a la mode".

If You Love Africa - Dutch Wax Prints Forever

Well, I want to share that if you have ever seen a woman in an Dutch Wax Print and thought "She looks so beautiful in that", now's your chance to wear them too with the confidence in knowing that they are totally trending! Call it what you will Dutch Wax Prints, African Prints, African Wax Prints, Batiq Prints, African Tribal Prints - AFRICA is trending, in a big way and it shows no sign of fading any time soon.

If you follow me on Pinterest you may have see my board dedicated to "Tribal Prints / Bold Prints & Textiles from Africa", featuring mainly 2015 collections and designs.
Follow reasonstodress's board TREND - TRIBAL PRINTS / BOLD PRINTS & TEXTILES FROM AFRICA on Pinterest.

Etro, Valentino, Les Copains, Lena Hoschek, Preen, Chloè and Marni are only some of the luxury designers who have dedicated a large part of their collections to African inspired themes and textiles in 2015. The great thing about this movement is that it shows no sign of stopping and includes bold prints and patterns referred to as "tribal" or "ethnic". Buy into the trend now and wear it with confidence.

Looking Forward - Fall Winter 2015 / 2016 Trends and SS2016

It's easy to see that tribal prints and dutch wax prints are trending right now, but we're already half way through summer, what about next year? I'm always keeping my eyes open for what will be happening in the future of fashion. Partly because I have no clothing budget, and if I want to stay on trend I usually have to buy in advance during the sales, I call this " Fashion Foresight" and have a many articles on the blog dedicated to this idea here!!

I also research because I work in fashion and need to stay on top of these sorts of things....oh and because I LOVE IT! I love seeing where fashion is going because in many ways I think it is a reflection of society, much in the same way contemporary artists reflect cultural undercurrents, designers, creatives and tastemakes are often the first to show us who we are becoming. If you visit my Pinterest Board "SS 2016 Inspiration" you'll find a whole mix of images from the 2016 Resort fashion shows (the SS2016 previews) and also from various trend resources that anticipate fabric trends and tendencies.

Follow reasonstodress's board SS 2016 inspiration on Pinterest.
These are just a few of the Resort 2016 looks that are pinned to the board that lead me to believe that Africa is going nowhere fast and that batiq fabric and tribal prints are going to be here for awhile.

Buy Into the Trend Now!

I wanted to share a few items on sale NOW so you can take advantage of these great prices to stock up your 2016 spring summer wardrobes with what is, in my humble opinion, one of fashions most beautiful trends - Africa.

1 // Tribal Print Maxi Dress $27

2 // Abstract Ikat Maxi Dress $23

3 // Africa inspired Maxi Dress $28

4// Black and White Shift Dress $25

5 // FOREVER 21 Tribal Print Fringe Cami Dress Black/Red Medium - $25

6// MICHAEL KORS tribal print jumpsuit - $189

STUDIO 189 - Designer Wax Prints

I wanted to highlight the brand STUDIO 189 which was created by Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah. They create collections using artisanal batiq fabric to help boost the financial independence of African communities. The below links take you to my affiliated shopping sites to find their products on sale, however, I recommend you shop with them directly.

On their website you can find jewelry, clothing, and accessories like bags and scarves for men and women. I love that collaborate with contemporary designers who use traditional fabrics in the collections and each item supports their mission of empowerment, education and opportunity. If you are the type of person who loves supporting great causes this is a way to wear a trend, buy a beautiful garment and support a great cause!

1 // Blue Wax Printed Blue Blouse - on sale for $78 + Blue Bermudas - on sale for $123

2 // Batiq Wax Prtinted Green dress - on sale for $153

3/ // Wax Prtinted Green gym bag - on sale for $166

So this is why I think everyone should start investing in beautiful batiq fabric now! Let me know what you think of this trend and if you've already been incorporating it into your wardrobe. Tomorrow for the Real Mom Street Style linkup I'll be featuring a beautiful blogger in a wax print dress and if you want to see how I wear the trend I've styled a wax print top here.