African ethnic wear popular in China

gmmg.com Published: 2017-08-06 13:00:12
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The global fashion trend is in a constant state of change. What is popular today might be out of date within the span of a week. In the last few years, however, there has been a consistent rise in popularity for African styled clothing and accessories in China.

Photo shows the traditional African ethnic wear. [Photo: Xinhua]

Photo shows the traditional African ethnic wear. [Photo: Xinhua]

The trend is not full blown to the point that people are wearing an entire set of African tribal attire on the street, but there are definitely African elements in the design that one cannot miss. One of the more widely used African influences is the colorful beading that seems to be favored by the young adult women. One would often see these women wearing clothes that have unique beading patterns that highlight the entire outfit. Traditional African beading is also quite a fashion statement when used on accessories such as handbags, jewelry, or shoes.

Many African cultures also make use of bright colors to emphasize their attire. In the fashion industry, strictly calibrated color schemes are becoming a thing of the past. The younger generation of fashion trendsetters are opting for a more daring color combination when buying clothing. Many of these new trends of color combination will have a distinctive African vibe.

The wild African landscape is also often associated with animal prints and rustic leathers. Prints such as leopard, snake, zebra, and crocodile have all been marathon runners in the fashion industry. Although animal prints are constantly fluctuating in and out of fashion, they have never been completely abandoned by the industry.

As dedicated fans of European luxury fashion brands, the Chinese people are always the first to keep up with the latest trends to come out of Paris and Milan. In 2017, the luxury accessory brand Louis Vuitton released a line of cashmere Basotho blankets, taken from the inspirations of the traditional attire of the Basotho people from Southern Africa. 

To many people living in Africa, it would seem crazy to pay such extravagant amounts of money for a Basotho blanket (which costs less than US$100 under normal circumstances). However, the item has sold out around the globe, with a significant waiting list in China.

These African fashion influences signifies the globalization of the African culture. 


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