Fashion: Photographer Koen Hauser pays tribute to Africa's textile design

Date
3 December 2013

Word has it that Dutch fabric manufacturer Vlisco is to Africa’s fashion landscape what Swedish schoolbags and high-waisted leggings currently are to London’s. The company has been producing and selling Indonesian-style batik cloth on an industrial scale since 1846, and their incredible jazzy prints and flamboyant colours have a resonating presence in central and west Africa, where originality takes precedent over following the latest fad.

In celebration of the enduring love affair between African women and the Dutch fabrics which bring a whole new meaning to the word colourful, photographer Koen Hauser teamed up with art director Maarten Spruyt to create a photo-series which pays homage the regal patterns sweeping the continent. Majestic and very beautiful, the resulting photographs are a testament to the brand’s strong visual aesthetic.

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Hommage a l’Art/Vlisco: Photographed by Koen Hauser, art direction and styling Maarten Spruyt

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Hommage a l’Art/Vlisco: Photographed by Koen Hauser, art direction and styling Maarten Spruyt

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Hommage a l’Art/Vlisco: Photographed by Koen Hauser, art direction and styling Maarten Spruyt

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Hommage a l’Art/Vlisco: Photographed by Koen Hauser, art direction and styling Maarten Spruyt

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Hommage a l’Art/Vlisco: Photographed by Koen Hauser, art direction and styling Maarten Spruyt

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Hommage a l’Art/Vlisco: Photographed by Koen Hauser, art direction and styling Maarten Spruyt

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Hommage a l’Art/Vlisco: Photographed by Koen Hauser, art direction and styling Maarten Spruyt

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About the Author

Maisie Skidmore

Maisie joined It’s Nice That fresh out of university in the summer of 2013 as an intern before joining full time as an Assistant Editor. Maisie left It’s Nice That in July 2015.

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