How Emerging Designers Are Reimagining Ancient Textiles
Plus, an afternoon with Mr Kwao, a highly experienced artisan based in Accra, Ghana.
Welcome back to Africa Reimagined! This week, we’re delving into the dynamic relationship between designers and artisans, particularly those who are striving to preserve age-old textile crafts.
African designers often talk about the beauty of working with traditional fabrics and textiles. For many, it forms a huge part of the brand’s identity, as traditional techniques become a recurring motif throughout collections, with many choosing to modernise these ancient artisanal crafts. Take Lagos Space Programme. The Adire print — an ancient indigo-dyeing technique commonly used in Southwest Nigeria — is dotted throughout his collections, past and present. His most recent Autumn/Winter 2025 collection features the signature print on scarves, trousers and even trench coats. Or take South Africa’s Maxhosa, whose knitwear is inspired by traditional Xhosa beadwork. Every collection is a nod to his South African identity. Newcomers and established players are putting an interesting spin on traditional textiles and reimagining them for a new audience.
I’ve written extensively about African textiles over the years, and I’ve always wondered what this process is actually like; Who is involved in it? And why have they chosen to keep the craft alive? It’s not often that I get to meet the skilled craftsmen behind these traditional fabrics, so when the opportunity came along, I, of course, had to jump at it.
A few weeks ago, I accompanied Ghanaian designer Dela Anku, founder and creative director of Simisa, on her trip to visit an experienced artisan based in the heart of Accra, Ghana — known as Mr Kwao. For this week’s newsletter, I went behind the scenes with Anku to learn more about how she incorporates ancient textiles such as tie-dye and batik into her collections. I also had a great chat with Mr. Kwao and discussed the future of tie-dye and batik in Ghana.
What’s inside:
The broader shift in appetite for traditional fabrics and how emerging designers are trying to reconnect it to a new generation
How traditional textiles have evolved over the years, and why the industry needs more academic material on traditional fabrics
The beauty of artisanal craft for new designers like Anku
Let’s dive in!
