I am not an expert when it comes to Economics but I still remember my basic ‘Demand & Supply’ from Adisadel College where I studied Economics as one of my elective subjects…Oh and let me throw in this, I had an ‘A’ in Economics during my finals (SSCE).
I know we have all advocated for Africans to find faith, prestige, glamour and respect in our own things, especially African prints.
I am one of the few who used to find it absurd to see International celebrities like Beyonce and Alicia Keys rocking African prints with pride, whiles back home, our local celebrities were not even going near it. Instead they were wearing ‘fake’ foreign brands or lie as to what foreign brand they were wearing so that they can feel important and expensive.
The year 2012 has seen astronomical increase in the numbers of African print products being produced. We have seen most of our celebrities embracing African prints more than it has ever been done.
The ordinary African seems to have also found some sort of belongingness in these prints, wearing them for all manner of occasions.
The increase in demand and acceptance of African prints as extremely fashionable has led to everyone within the fashion industry going into the manufacturing African prints products.
From what I am hearing, some of the African print products on the markets are being made in CHINA with fake but African look-alike prints.  Some of today’s African print product makers are said to be flying to China to cheaply get these products ranging from bags to shoes made in China.
From where I sit, it seems we are heading towards a disaster.  It seems we can never get things right.
Soon, our markets will be full of African prints products, including pens and pencils made out of African prints…Supply will excessively exceed demand and then, all that we advocated for and welcomed will loose its price and prestige/value.
Who would want to wear an African print cheaply manufactured in China?

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