kitenge

Kitenge is Swahili, from a Bantu root meaning 'to wrap' or 'cloth.' The fabric is a large piece of printed cotton, typically sold in six-yard lengths, with bold, colorful patterns. In East Africa — Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo — it is called kitenge. In West Africa, the same type of fabric is called ankara or African wax print. The fabric is the same. The names are regional.

The fabric's history involves an unexpected detour through Indonesia and the Netherlands. Dutch colonists in the nineteenth century observed Indonesian batik techniques and began industrially printing cotton fabric that imitated batik patterns. They intended to sell this fabric in Indonesia, but Indonesian buyers preferred authentic hand-waxed batik. The Dutch then marketed the fabric to West Africa, where it was adopted enthusiastically. African wax print — and by extension kitenge — is a European imitation of an Indonesian technique sold to Africa.

In East Africa, kitenge is more than clothing. It is used as a baby sling, a head wrap, a tablecloth, a curtain, a beach towel, an oven mitt, and a burial shroud. Women tie it around their waists or over one shoulder. Each pattern carries cultural significance — some are worn to weddings, others to funerals, others to express political opinions. In Tanzania, special kitenge prints are produced for elections, with party logos and slogans printed into the design.

The fabric has entered global fashion. Designers from Lagos to London incorporate kitenge prints into contemporary fashion. The distinctive bold patterns — geometric, floral, abstract — are instantly recognizable. The fabric was once dismissed as 'traditional African dress.' Now it appears on runways. The thing that half a billion people use as a baby sling became high fashion.