This is an excerpt from the open letter to Adidas Kwabena Boateng of Kayobi Clothing posted on his blog earlier this week:
“Kente is the trendiest and most renowned cloth in Ghana and possibly in all of Africa. The strip-woven cloth made by the Akan people of Ghana and the Ewe people of Ghana and Togo, is the best known of all African textiles. Its fame has spread globally where it is now one of the most admired of all fabrics in many parts of the world.
Africa as it is a misunderstood, over exploited and misrepresented continent – If conglomerates like adidas wish to take inspiration from African art and textiles for their products the least you could do was provide an accurate historical description of the ‘borrowed’ design.”
Visit Ghana Hype for the rest of the letter and general design and cultural goodness from Kwabena.
Thanks for the support – will be sending you an update very soon.