Afrocentric colors, designs and patterns are sweeping the nation and are here to stay. What’s behind the trend?

Following today’s ever-changing fashion trends is probably the most addictive habit I’ve acquired since becoming a “true” fashionista and style blogger. And I am aware of the cyclical nature of fashion. I know my grandma is probably wondering if she should’ve saved her 1970s bell bottoms for me in 2016. And I’m somewhat comfortable with the fact that American fashion will inevitably repeat itself in some “revolutionary” way. However, what truly excites me is seeing an entirely new culture of fashion make its way into the spotlight.

In recent years, the black community has been embracing more and more African culture. Black beauty is more celebrated now than ever before and, along with rocking natural hair, we’re seeing more African clothing on city sidewalks nationwide- but especially in America’s fashion capital.

Dashikis now speckle the eclectic streets of New York City, outfitting men and women in gorgeous designs, rich colors and tediously detailed prints. Tiffany Hill, fashion designer and owner of Tiffantasy clothing, said she’s noticed its recent popularity and attributes it to black Americans wanting to learn more about themselves and their African roots.

“Ever since the natural hair movement, I started to notice people wearing more African clothing and trying to learn more about their culture,” Hill said. “I don’t know how long the trend will last, but I think the people trying to get in touch with who they are will continue to wear it.”

[Read] Embracing Natural Hair: When Locks can be Freeing

While the afrocentric fashion trend seems to replicate traditional African clothing, much of the street style is a blend of both African and American style- much like the Black community today. Hill describes her designs as traditionally African but with an American twist. She often combines styles like pairing Dashikis and shorts or creating African print crop tops.

“I have always wanted to make African clothing in an American style,” Hill said. “I always wanted to make stuff out of Kente cloth, and lately I have been trying to look for the print in traditional silk.”

Kente cloth is a highly regarded fabric hand woven by the Ashanti people in southern Ghana. Made of silk and cotton, it’s one of the most popular textiles from Africa.

Along with this adoption of African culture comes a bit of tension between what is authentic and what is skewed through an American looking glass.

Ashley Chew, New York-based model, fine artist and social media guru, said that the New York market seems to be in touch with the trend, but thinks it’s unfortunate that it has become so “trendy.” She also said the way Americans chose to wear the traditional styles can come off as silly and inappropriate in African culture.

“After visiting South Africa and Nigeria, I know that they think it’s hilarious the way we wear it,” said Chew. “They take their prints very seriously and when they see girls wearing dashikis made by Instagram boutiques that are cheaply made, it’s kind of laughable to them.”

In the same breath, Chew also said that although it may not be worn in the exact same way, she appreciates black Americans trying to reclaim their roots.

“I can’t knock anybody for trying to tap into their roots,” said Chew. “I’m proud that people are trying; however, the black community has been Americanized enough and things have been stripped away from us from the beginning, so keeping its African essence is important to me.”

In terms of kente cloth and dashikis on the runway, Chew said that mainstream American fashion has a long way to go.

“In terms of mainstream designers, I’m not seeing that at all,” Chew said. “They want to appeal to a mass market and it may scare away other ethnicities.”

Traditional fabrics such as Kente cloth found in America are digitally printed to cheap fabrics and do not resemble the African cloth that so many people, including myself, admire.

“It’s beautiful to see someone walking in Harlem wearing an African print and then coming back to Ghana to see another person wearing the same print.”

Ghana-based online marketplace owner Dziffa Ametam said that the majority of her business comes from clothing sales and thinks online businesses like hers, Dziffa.com, can connect supply with the global demand.

“At first, my understanding of traditional African prints was through Chinese businesses,” Ametam said. “I’m not sure if global consumers want to know about the authentic fabrics and prints and where they come from, but I think they should.”

Ametam said that she is happy to see black Americans trying to wear African clothing, however the limited accessibility to African manufacturers online makes it hard for consumers to order from the continent for a more authentic garment.

“I spent time with the Kente people who weave the cloth from scratch,” said Ametam. “It can take up to two weeks to weave. The symbols, the ink… it was beautiful to see what goes into making that fabric. It loses its character when you buy the counterfeited prints globally.”

American designers that use African prints and clothing as inspiration in their collections rarely reach out to African manufacturers and tend not to give credit to the culture at all. Chew said that high-end fashion designers have unfortunately used African pieces in the past without recognition.

“I love Marc Jacobs and when he sent bantus down the runway people made a big deal out of it, because he didn’t call it a bantu and didn’t give black culture it’s credit,” Chew said.

Whether Americans are wearing Kente cloth manufactured out of Ghana or rocking some Dashiki shorts, it is clear that the emergence of afrocentric fashion is bringing African Americans and Africans closer together culturally. Ametam said that it’s a beautiful thing.

“It’s beautiful to see someone walking in Harlem wearing an African print and then coming back to Ghana to see another person wearing the same print,” said Ametam. “They have never seen each other, but they have a common bond with the continent.”

About the Author: Erin Hampton is a style blogger and self-described “black clothes addict.” In addition to being a contributor at Open Mic Rochester, Hampton is a photographer, stylist and also has her own fashion and style blog, Black Laundry.