The first thing you notice is the colour—loud, unapologetic, and full of life. Wax print doesn’t whisper; it sings. It’s the kind of fabric that announces itself before you step into the room, carrying a history woven into every swirl, motif, and geometric pattern. For decades, it’s been the heartbeat of African style, but today, wax print is no longer confined to weddings, market days, or Sunday best. It has become a passport to global fashion capitals, a statement piece for a generation that refuses to dilute its identity to fit into muted palettes.
Flora Coquerel knows this power. The Franco-Beninese Miss France 2014 grew up between worlds—Europe’s understated elegance and Africa’s flamboyant storytelling through cloth. Wax print was always more than fabric to her; it was an anchor. Years later, she finds herself not just wearing it, but living it, advocating for its place in contemporary fashion. She’s part of a wave of Franco-African designers and influencers pulling wax print out of the “heritage-only” box and into the dizzying rotation of everyday couture.
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This isn’t just nostalgia or tradition. It’s reinvention. Walk the streets of Paris, Dakar, Lagos, or even New York, and you’ll see wax print folded into bomber jackets, sneakers, handbags, and even luxury evening gowns. The aesthetic no longer belongs to one demographic; it belongs to anyone bold enough to wear colour like conviction. African fashion houses like Christie Brown, Imane Ayissi, and Studio 189 are blending traditional wax techniques with experimental silhouettes, proving the fabric can survive trend cycles without losing its soul.
Yet, its journey hasn’t been simple. The irony of wax print is that its roots are tangled—manufactured in European factories, popularised across West Africa, and now reclaimed by African creatives as their own. For some, this dual history is complicated; for others, it’s the perfect metaphor for Africa’s place in the global conversation—shaped by many hands, but unapologetically self-defined. Flora leans into this complexity, seeing the fabric as a cultural bridge rather than a point of contention. In her eyes, wax print is proof that identity can be fluid and still fiercely authentic.
The resurgence of wax mania is also tied to a deeper cultural shift. A generation of young Africans, both on the continent and in the diaspora, is reclaiming and monetising their heritage. Social media has become their runway, where a single post can turn a small Accra-based tailor into an international brand. Influencers and celebrities are draping themselves in wax print not as a token nod to culture, but as a fashion-first choice. When Beyoncé wore custom Ankara-inspired looks in her Black Is King visual album, she wasn’t starting the movement—she was amplifying it.
What Flora and her peers understand is that wax print doesn’t just travel well; it tells stories. Each pattern has meaning—coded symbols of fertility, unity, power, or even cheeky social commentary. Wearing it is a conversation, a visual language that connects strangers across oceans. It’s this storytelling aspect that makes wax print both deeply personal and universally appealing.
And it’s not slowing down. From the Met Gala to Milan Fashion Week, African fashion is stepping confidently onto the world stage, not as an exotic sideshow but as a trendsetter in its own right. Wax mania is more than a movement; it’s a cultural shift. It’s about dismantling the idea that African aesthetics need to be “toned down” to be globally palatable. It’s about wearing your roots with the same pride you wear a designer label.
Flora’s own life is proof that heritage and ambition can coexist without one overshadowing the other. She moves between continents, between conversations, between styles, but the fabric stays. It’s a constant reminder that Africa is not waiting for a seat at the table—it’s building its own. Wax mania, in all its vibrancy, is not just about fashion. It’s about identity, pride, and the refusal to blend in when you were born to stand out.
And like the best trends, it isn’t going anywhere. Wax print isn’t just in fashion—it is fashion.
