An African breeze blows over No-Mad. And fabrics of African ‘boubous’ (kurtas) inspire the brand. So, off we go to the world of wax prints.
Coloured, vibrant, symbolic, inspired by everyday life and sometimes bold … these are the strengths of Wax prints, these fabrics coming straight from Africa. To be more precise, let’s say from the Dutch colony…
In 1830, the Dutch occupied the island of Java in Indonesia, with the help of men enlisted in the army from the Gold Coast, now known as Ghana. There, we saw the first wax prints, inspired by batik technique and developed by colonial ambition.
Wax? This refers to printing motives in wax before dyeing. Back home, some 700 Ghanaians wear these prints, creating a wave of demand in Africa. The Netherlands have found a new market … gradually the people of the entire African continent adopted these fabrics and colours. An invented tradition which has finally ended up as a blend… where codes, motives have been worked on and reinterpreted by No-Mad. The brand has enjoyed penetrating into the African world to bring out “Indianised” patterns, created by digital printing.
Discover No-Mad cross cultural inspiration coming in from Africa on our Pinterest board : India-Africa HERE
