In-depth, sourced stories on African textile heritage, technique and trade.
Fermented river mud, a leaf bath that turns cloth yellow, and a chemical reaction that fixes the colour for good. Mali's bogolanfini is a slow craft that was rescued by art students, adopted by designers and copied by printers.
October 15, 2026HeritageIt is sold as the most African of fabrics, yet it began as a Dutch attempt to copy Javanese batik. Follow wax print across three continents, and see why a cloth with a colonial origin became a medium for African speech.
October 15, 2026HeritageSpider legends, a disputed birthplace, a UNESCO listing and a brand-new legal protection: the story of Ghana's most famous cloth is also a story about who gets to define it.
October 15, 2026