This trailblazing book reveals the magnificence of African wax print textiles. In beautifully illustrated chapters, Anne Grosfilley traces the process of printing and dying the batik fabric, involving wax or indigo, to its multifaced origins. She explores the differences of mass-produced and artisanally sourced fabrics, tracking where textiles go from the manufacturing centres to markets and cities throughout Africa and the world. Grosfilley offers the fruits of her own passionate research as she profiles a variety of individuals from rural venders to trendsetting fashionistas. This eye-opening volume celebrates the enormous variety of African fabric styles and uses, and explores the complex interconnections between the continent and colonialism and between modern technology and Old World practices. Anne Grosfilley is an anthropologist and an expert on African textiles and fashion