Who Owns Ankara? The Fight for Cultural and Economic Control
Ankara has become a visual shorthand for African identity. Bold, expressive, and symbolic. But while the fabric is deeply rooted in cultural expression, the question of who owns its production, profits, and meaning remains contested. At the heart of the issue
Power & Pattern: The Nana Benz Women Who Built West Africa’s Ankara Economy
Before Ankara became the cultural emblem it is today, it was cargo, offloaded in ports like Lomé, Accra, and Lagos, with no particular meaning or story attached. What transformed it from product to power was not just pattern or pigment,
Ankara Wasn’t Born in Africa—But Africa Made It a Legacy
Few fabrics carry as much emotional, cultural, and aesthetic weight as Ankara. Often dubbed “African print,” it’s instantly recognizable, bold in pattern, rich in colour, and deeply woven into the fabric of celebrations, politics, and personal style across the continent.
Nostalgia as Aesthetic: Why Y2K, Ankara, and Afrobeats Are Taking Over African Visual Culture
In recent years, nostalgia has become one of the most powerful tools shaping African creative expression. Across fashion, music, and visual art, creators are mining the past not simply for sentiment but for inspiration, identity, and storytelling. Whether it is