Inspired By | African Wax Prints

WhatIWore: A couple of summers ago I collaborated on a really cool project to bring African wax prints to life through modern silhouettes. Our proceeds went to Giving Back to Africa, a non profit started by an IU professor who was raised in Congo. Through a series of photos and photoshopped arrows, we worked with our colleagues in Kinshasa to pick out the fabrics, assign them patterns and have them sewn up. Along with some other Bloomington women, I did a bunch of sewing too! The results were so beautiful and I hovered by one skirt all night long to make sure I won the auction (seen here). 

While I was researching ideas for our little fashion show, I came upon the genius that is Stella Jean, an Italian based designer with Haitian heritage. She combines tradition wax printed cloth into retro and ladylike silhouettes. I really love her work! 

Last week I had the chance to do a little sewing using a large piece of African Wax Print I received as a gift, so I pulled together this set of images to get inspired. Aren’t these patterns beautiful? See more ideas on my Pinterest Page.