Tribal Chic in Elle Canada

Just as much as I like African design making an impact, I have ambivalent feelings about the international designers appropriating African aesthetics and making a living from them. On the one hand it makes African cool. On the other, it is inauthentic and it just reminds us that we have missed a trick. Oh the tortuous musings of the fashion intelligentia... ;)

Anyway, if we were in any doubt that African prints were 'in' then the 'Tribal Queen' story in Canadian Elle can put that to rest.

Pulling together the best of the international designers who are working in traditional African prints, the story includes garments from Marni, Burberry, BCBG Max Azria, Alberta Ferretti, Michael Kors, Donna Karan and Herve Leger.

The photographer is Jean-Claude Lussier and the model is Chantal Stafford-Abbott. The story was styled by the fashion editor who goes by the name of Azamit. Just the one name. Like Madonna.