The Revamping of African Fashion

By: Asanat Akibu

Many American designers have begun to incorporate African textiles into their clothing; whether its basic kente cloth or full out lace, we see African prints everywhere. There has been a surge in Afrocentric styles on and off the runway in the past few seasons. Designers such as Gwen Stefani, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuiton, Thakoon, Malandrino, Maya Aminah Lake and many more, have begun to see the beauty in our fabrics and allowed them to be the base of their clothing at some point.

One designer that has continues to incorprate the prints and fabric into her designs is Maya Aminah Lake of Boxing Kitten. You may have already seen this clothing line on Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Solange Knowles, and Rihanna, just to name a few.

Boxing Kitten was established by Maya in 2009 out of Brooklyn, NY, and uses African wax-block print fabrics to make all the pieces in her clothing line. Her current S/S 2011 collection showcases dresses, shorts, sheer tops, crop tops, skirts, and headbands. This clothing line has been around for just a few years and has already seen the pages of Vogue, Arise, W Magazine, Teen Vogue, The NY Times, and much more.

"The Vintage inspiration behind Boxing Kitten celebrates the spirit and lives of women who have come before, and the playfulness and vibrancy of each piece captures the women of today and the future. This is a part of what makes each garment from Boxing Kitten particularly unique. Maya A. Lake, designer of Boxing Kitten also finds large inspiration from the vibrant prints and irregularities of the fabric, which is why she uses it so enthusiastically. The fabric is largely bought, worn and marketed in Western African countries."

Spring/Summer 2011Collection