Debunking The Stupid Myth That African Print Is NOT AFRICAN & Belongs To The Dutch & Indonesian

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Over the years, a strange and persistent myth has been circulating — that African prints are not actually African, but Dutch. This notion largely stems from the prominence of Vlisco, a Dutch textile company established in 1846 by Pieter Fentener van Vlissingen, which gained popularity in West and Central Africa for its vibrant wax-printed fabrics.

Originally, Vlisco aimed to industrially replicate Indonesian batik designs and later found success selling wax prints in West and Central Africa. But to attribute an entire continent’s fashion culture to a European company is not only historically inaccurate — it’s deeply disrespectful.

This narrative highlights two critical issues:

1. A fundamental misunderstanding of the meaning of “culture.”

2. A troubling readiness — even among some Africans — to undermine African creativity by adopting degrading stereotypes and false narratives that diminish the continent’s achievements.

Let’s be clear: while Vlisco may have popularized industrial wax-resist printing, it did not invent African textile traditions, nor did it create the culture around prints in Africa. To suggest that an entire continent’s rich and expressive fashion identity originates from a single European company is both reductive and misleading.

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African Culture Has Always Been Expressive — In Pattern and in Color

Africans, across nearly all regions except for some parts of the North influenced by Arab cultures, have long expressed identity through colorful, symbolic fashion. From the bold beadwork and feathers of the Zulu as well as their colorful garments, to the majestic Kente cloth of the Ashanti and Ewe in Ghana, to Adire indigo dyeing by the Yoruba in Nigeria, the Bogolanfini (mud cloth) of Mali, and the Panu di Terra of Cape Verde, the tradition of infusing meaning into garments is uniquely African and deeply embedded in the continent’s diverse cultures. These traditions weren’t borrowed — they are deeply rooted in centuries-old African customs.

 

This legacy of expression did not begin with wax print — and it certainly did not begin in the Netherlands or Indonesia.

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What the Dutch Actually Brought: A Manufacturing Technique

The wax-resist technique used in modern wax print textiles has its technical origins in Indonesia’s batik tradition, which the Dutch encountered during colonial rule in Southeast Asia. Seeking to mass-produce this technique, companies like Vlisco began manufacturing wax-resist prints in the Netherlands in the 19th century.

When these fabrics failed to win over Indonesian consumers due to their imperfections and mechanical finish, the Dutch began exporting them to West Africa, where they were warmly embraced as it reflected an ALREADY EXISTING CULTURE OF COLORFUL CLOTHINGS. IN ADDITION, Vlisco collaborated with African buyers, tailors, and merchants who gave new meaning, life, and symbolism to the designs — transforming them into a unique cultural language something that Vlisco still does to this day, using African creatives to design their patterns and clothing exhibits.

Also acknowledge that African wax print fashion only recently became a global phenomenon in the past decade, at which point someone can clearly say, THE CURRENT FABRICS AS FAR AS CREATIVITY GOES, HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH INDONESIAN CULTURE, NOR DUTCH INGENUITY. So while the method of wax print is not indigenous to Africa or Ghana, the meaning, symbolism, and aesthetics of print-wearing in Africa are entirely African.

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African Textile Traditions Pre-Date European Contact

Textile art has existed in Africa long before Vlisco or the Dutch arrived. One of the best examples is Adire, a resist-dyed indigo textile created by Yoruba women, especially in Abeokuta, Nigeria, dating back to the 19th century — around the same time Vlisco was emerging. But Adire techniques are based on even older traditions of cloth production, handed down through generations.

Similarly, the Bogolan cloth of Mali, made with fermented mud, dates back possibly to the 12th century, and has always featured symbolic motifs representing history, mythology, and identity.

 

Even the Kente cloth of Ghana, woven in complex patterns and color symbolism, was developed independently of any European influence. It evolved from centuries of weaving traditions in the Ashanti Kingdom.

So no — the idea that African people had no understanding of decorative fabrics, patterns and prints before Europeans introduced wax print is offensive and false. It reflects a colonial mindset that erases the ingenuity of pre-colonial African societies.

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African Ownership of Modern Wax Print

What’s even more important today is that the designs behind most wax prints are created by African minds for African consumers. Vlisco, for instance, relies heavily on African designers & creatives from countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, and Ivory Coast to develop prints that resonate with local markets, meaning there is nothing Dutch about their designs. These prints often incorporate African proverbs, symbols, social roles, and cultural themes.

So while the wax print MANUFACTURING PROCESS has European and Indonesian roots, the design, symbolism, meaning, and cultural context are all African. The patterns tell African stories, represent African life, and are worn to celebrate African milestones — from weddings and funerals to chieftaincies and festivals.

Claiming wax print is Dutch because of how it’s made is like saying African music is European because it’s recorded with Western equipment, or claiming Fufu is Chinese culture if they were to provide a more sophisiticated and popularly used Fufu making machine. It’s a confusion between tools and tradition — between production method and cultural meaning.

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Stop The False Colonial Narrative;

The truth of the matter is African people, through centuries of colonialism and misinforming institutions, have been taught to look down on ourselves and so we feel proud to be the first to spread a narrative that speaks down on us even when little research has been applied, almost as if we are waiting to be applauded by our former colonial masters or other low self esteem Africans for doing so. Our fashion and culture has always been colorful, with prints and patterns for hundreds of centuries.

 

Yes, the industrial wax-resist printing method was introduced by the Dutch. But the aesthetics, culture, and symbolic language of print-wearing in Africa are older and deeper than any machine could replicate.

From ancient hand-dyeing traditions to the contemporary styling of wax print in African fashion capitals like Lagos, Accra, Abidjan, and Dakar, African textiles are, and have always been, a celebration of identity. Even today, the prints we see on runways, in markets, and across African social media feeds are designed by Africans, for Africans, with African stories.

So no — African prints are not Dutch. They are a continuation of African culture, expressed through a modern tools introduced by foreigners. And that, in itself, is a powerful act of cultural sovereignty.

 

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