Ankara slippers and Sandals

Introduction

Ankara slippers and sandals are footwear’s made from Ankara fabric. Its popularity in the world is growing by the day. Ankara slippers and sandals are made by craftsmen for customers who appreciate African fashion. This article has a lot of detailed picture illustrations to give a better understanding of  what Ankara slippers and sandals are used for. It also covers the history of Ankara fabric, its revenue and popularity in Sub-Saharan Africa.

What is Ankara Fabric?

Ankara fabric is a Afican inspired print made of 100 % cotton with colorful patterns. Ankara fabric is also known as African wax prints, dutch wax, Holland wax; and so on. (Allthingsankara , 2017) .

Ankara fabric should not be mixed up with ‘’ANKARA’’ the capital of turkey. In here, we are talking about Ankara fabric which has transformed African fashion industry, giving it a distinguished stand in the world of fashion.

Ankara is as a multipurpose print used in making clothes, sandals, slippers, shoes, handbags, jewelries upholstery covers, curtains, and so on. Ankara fabric symbolizes the rich cultural nature of Africa visible in its patterns and motifs.

Not only these, manufactures have expanded Ankara use by producing chiffon Ankara, silk, iro and buba, kaftans, leggings among others .

History of Ankara Print

Ankara traced its origin to Batik; an ancient Indonesian dye resists fabric. Ankara was manufactured for the Dutch market, but as a result of the African inspired print of the fabric, Indonesia channeled its market to the African region.

 Indonesia has generated a lot in revenue by expanding its market to West Africa especially Nigeria where Ankara is worn by 90% of Nigerians and among other African countries like Ghana, Serra lone, Togo, Kenya among others.

The procedure is done by creating a pattern using dye on some portions of fabric without affecting other areas. This method began in 1800 in Indonesia under Dutch colonization ( Fabricsphere, 2018)

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11 Reasons Why you Need Ankara Slippers and Sandals

1. Ankara slippers and sandals are uniquely made from African print
2. They are made of 100% cotton fabrics
3. The colors are vibrant and flattery
4. Ankara slippers and sandals showcases African fashion and culture to the world
5. The texture of Ankara fabric reduces dirt trap on the footwear’s,
6. Easy cleaning
7. Comfortable on feet
8. The color of the print is vibrant but cool in sight
9. Ankara slippers and sandals are worn by all ages and sexes
10. Unique gift items for tourist
11. Perfect for African fashion exhibition

5 Ways You can Style Ankara Sandals and Slippers?

1. Ankara sandals or slippers can be worn with jeans and tops
2. Ankara skirt and blouse
3. They can be worn with kaftans
4. Palazzo pants and tops look trendy on Ankara slippers and sandals.
5. You can flatter your looks by adding Ankara head piece

5 Places you can wear Ankara Sandals and Slippers to

1. Ankara sandals or slippers can be worn in many occasions such as;
2. Casual outings
3. Evening strolls
4. Work environment depending on the design
5. Carnivals and so on.
6. Exhibitions

The growth of Ankara Fashion in Africa/ Nigeria

Formally, in the 80’s and 90’s Ankara fabric was worn as clothes by the elderly in Nigeria, but today, Ankara has made its way to all and sundry, becoming one of the top sought out fabrics in Nigeria and Africa. We have the likes of to fashion brands like Vlisco, Daviva, excellence; and so on.

 Fashion bloggers in Nigeria have also taken Ankara fashion to the next level. According to (Instagram ,2020) , we have  Ankara print fashion blogs such as Ankarastyles, Ankaracollection, Ankarazone Ankara catalogue and a list of many others, where you can see the latest Ankara fashion styles that are amazing.  

It is interesting to note that the sub-Saharan Africa has recorded an annual sale of 2.1 billion yards with  cost production of  2.6 billon dollars and a retail value of 4 billion dollars.

Summary

Ankara slippers and sandals are must have for unique fashion lovers. They are footwear’s for people who value African fashion. Vibrant and suitable for leisure and work environments. They are affordable and uniquely made by craftsmen in Africa. In Nigeria, Ankara sandals and slippers should not be missing in your footwear collections. Ankara slippers and sandals are not just trendy but they symbolize the rich African heritage of sub-Saharan Africa.

Sources

Aibueku, U. (2016, February 16). In textile industry, a hidden goldmine, The Guardian Retrivedfrom https://guardian.ng/features/youthspeak/in-textile-industry-a-hidden-goldmine/ 

Allthingsankara (2014).  What-is-ankara-fabric? Retrieved from https://www.allthingsankara.com/2014/09

Fabricsphere. (2018).What is Ankara Fabric. Retrived from https://fabricsphere.com/shop/

Instagram. (2020, January 19) Ankarazone. Retrived from www.instagram.com  https://www.instagram.com/ankarazone/?hl=en