African Child: The New Tribal Chic

My trip to Ghana in 2008 left me with an indelible love for African prints. I felt that I had come home- my love of loud bright colours and matching hues that sometimes felt attention-seeking on the streets of London and Paris came to life. Like old indigenous spirits, these prints winked at me, they walked and talked to me on the streets of Accra. I have to admit that I spent most of my pocket money on fabric. And local art. (Although not as much as my friend Steph who shipped two heavy couches weighing sixty tons back to Canada!) Half a yard of the buzzing green and striking yellow here at Makola Market. Two yards of the chocolate brown with chain imprints at Kaneshie. A quarter of a yard for a gele. It was as if I had finally come home. Not for me Nigerian hollandaise lace. I loved the kente prints and haggled with the market traders for them. The girls who shared my house had a similar love and we gleefully compared fabrics, lovingly delivered them to seamstresses (little more than teenage girls with good hands and a keen eye), wanting more of this and more of that. These prints were individual and fun and laden with meaning. How often does one wear meaningful clothes that perform a literary function? The first bit of fabric I picked- white and black and generously speckled with silver was called "My Daughter is Abroad, She is Doing Well". I bought it immediately.

This was a country where there were colours and prints for mourning, colours and prints for marriage, colours and prints for joy and celebration, colours and prints for sorrow and distress, a veritable minefield for art historians, designers and yes, fashionistas.

I was therefore particularly thrilled when I saw African fashion being channelled into the mainstream by major brands like Vivienne Westwood, Balenciaga and D&G. When Chanel Iman walked the catwalk at African Fashion Week wearing these designs, it was as if she was doing what they she was born to do. I was not surprised that these designs have infiltrated into the mainstream as I have long suspected that tribal accents and ethnic fusion are natural extensions of nu-boho when gypsy-chic has been overdone. It also helps that the prints flatter round behinds, full breasts and wide hips.

I knew that the trend was smoking when I opened the Daily Mail (probably the most anti developing world tabloid in the UK) and saw an British ladette at Aintree, done up to the nines rocking a yellow and white ASOS Africa shift. Websites like africhic.com and ololade.com have made it more accessible to obtain motherland fashion that is different, yet still trendy, relevant, and sexy. Dorothy Perkins sent me an email today asking me to trial new “tribal” (I am still not sure how I feel about the word tribal to define the trend). Initiatives that combine social responsibility like ASOS Africa (all the clothes are made by a women's collective in Kenya) are laudable. It is my hope that our own UK designers such as my favourite designer Nkwo and Amechie Ihenacho will benefit. I am also hoping that this trend will not be a passing fad, and that it will reinvent itself each season because at the moment, it is fierce and fabulous and I love it!

These are my top 10 picks of the season. They are mostly dresses- nothing says lady like a stunning dress!

Olalade.com. Cream shrunk 50's dress 60 pounds.

I love the asymmetric bell sleeves, the length makes it contemporary and the print is divine!

Forever Unique at Asos.com

Forever Unique is one of my favourite brands. This simple white dress is a great colour for summer - the detailed appliqued collar is all it needs.  A banging partylicious winner!150 pounds.

The maxidress never goes out of fashion and Mango does this Caribbean tie-dye one in denim and powder blue. Very holiday friendly!

£60

Missibaba at africhic.com

Buttery leather and suede in a subdued but winning print!

£400.

The perfect sundress for that barbecue summer. Rich prints that would look great on any skin!

Asos.com £30

A chick has to have one lust item ok?

Christian Dior sandals. Price on request.

Printed Bolero by Amechi Ihenacho. Price on request.

This would look great to enliven my many black dresses!

Printed Playsuit by AsosAfrica. Proceeds to help empowering women in Kenya.This playsuit reminds me of childhood- it is fun and cute, will look great with some oversized shades and stonking heels!

£50

Who says ethical fashion needs to be expensive? This beaded necklace is an intricate stunner.

Tribalmango.com

£10 people! A steal. You have no excuse to buy the imitation piece at Primark!

Another Olalede creation. £79

I have a feeling you will be seeing someone wearing this very soon!

Aren't these all so strikingly pretty?