Why do I love African Wax fabrics ?
My love story with wax begins when I was born in Congo. Almost 50 years ago! 🤔... But I didn't know that yet... It continues with my arrival in Ivory Coast, I was 2 years old... And it has been going on ever since, never diminishing! 💓 How not to fall in love with these fabrics, with such shimmering colors? They bring so much sun, light and good humor... We can only adore them! Me, personally, I love going to buy them directly from the women of my village, in Côte d'Ivoire. To share their smiles, their joie de vivre, to exchange glances with the baby they are carrying on their backs... To help them, at my modest level, in their everyday life, by buying them directly from them, loincloths. And not by going to buy them at the supermarket..
That's all that these fabrics represent for me 😊: cheerfulness, the joy of living, the strength of the power of colors and patterns... in addition to finding them extremely soft and pretty of course!
What is african wax fabric ?
The wax, also called African fabric, is a cotton textile, with trendy, varied and colorful patterns. Wax is very fashionable in West Africa (even if its origins go back rather to Indonesia), where it is used to make many clothes, including the famous African wax loincloths. In reality, Wax is not of African origin. It has been, for several centuries, manufactured in Indonesia where Holland has several colonies there. Depending on its origin, the wax is said to be "Dutch", "English", "African" or "Chinese".
The manufacture is done using two large copper rollers, where the designs are engraved on one intended to print the wax on the back of the fabric, and the other on the place. The fabric is then dipped in ink, and will only be printed on the parts of the fabric that have no wax. The wax is then removed by passing it through hot water. We change the rollers, in order to "place" the wax elsewhere, and we dip the fabric again in another bath of a different color. We start the process again until all the design, and all the colors are printed...
It is a long manufacturing technique, but which guarantees a high quality of printing for the wax fabric.
Origin of my wax fabrics ?
Directly from African markets near my home ! Every time I go back home, I can't resist buying them again and again... I find them all more beautiful than the other!
If you want to learn more about African fabrics, it's here :
And if you just want to discover the rest of my blog, it's here :
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