agree w/ 5

Went to the website. Hmm, kind of pricey. I can go to DVF for those prices.

Rah erm inffffo you came hard didnt you.
No mate. Nobody is hating. It was her lack of acknowledgement towards tha West African fabric that got the majority of the people upset. It is clear she did not come up with this concept as it has already been done before hence the other comments.
Really dont get why you came up with Jay-z & VCR , Irrelevant nonsence that was defo not needed. But hey since you brought it up. If you were an upcoming artist and you did some demos and Jay-z gets hold of it and claims that its his. You would me mad pissed. Because he ripped you off. This designer really aint doing shit. Im not hating just stating the facts. Looking at other ankara outfits on Google she is really amateur.

UJU FASHIONS has been doing this for years. African textile with hip designs and they are modest enough in mentioning their inspiration and also modest enough in prices.

This woman can’t be for real! Been done before, she just has silly celebs upping her.

MODESTY is an African essentiality.

we get it, but where outside of africa you can buy these, so called african outfits ?

Thank you @ TRULYBLESSED for that analogy. It is totally like an artist composing a song and then somebody ripping it off as their own and not acknowledging it at all. That Jay-Z and VHS thing was waaaaay off.lol

@Ghanaian princes…well done, you’ve done all of us proud and articulated our feelings precisely. Now if you want to see actual designs check out these folks

http://africanainatlanta....on-week-2009-tiffany.html

personal favourite:
http://bellanaija.blogspo...m/2008/02/toju-foyeh.html
http://www.bellanaija.com/style/

http://www.facebook.com/h...062468&id=53862123341

even though they are good, why don’t you just pop down to an African country- e.g Ghana…you are guaranteed to enjoy yourself and pay far less!

o plz..this are materials aka ankara from West Africa and they are also hand made. i don’t know why u have to go round saying u designed them. smdh

am reading everybodys comment and i can understand why they are pissed at her cuz i dnt see anything new or original about her designs, am nigerian i see it all the time wat made me pissed was dat i went to homegirls website and she is actually selling a pair of short for $75. you can buy a yard of material for $20 and make atleast 10 shorts. and a dress for $274 she is on sum bullshit for real

I definitely feel like she is ripping off an African theme that has been used for centuries and is selling it as her own. Being from Ghana, West Africa, I have tons of cloth just like that sewn into various designs. Her interview doesn’t even give Africans credit. It’s kind of annoying to see someone putting such a huge price tag on something that has been apart of my culture and many African cultures for so long. I don’t see this as a positive thing at all.

Your Welcome@ darknlovely I Had to dumb it down for those folks…

@ trulyblessed, keep putting these ppl in their place. ur comments make me very proud
@ Wendy, just keep ur dumb comments 2 urself kmft

this woman is a fraud kmt. i see how she’s slyly trying 2 claim sumfing she did not do and just cuz she’s black does not mean we hav to support her fakeness

Thanks B_rule. I had to put the facts out there!

I don’t really see anything african about this apart from the fabrics and i didn’t see anywhere she mentions about africa, she uses (african) fabrics but she doesn’t even give credits to africa for the inspiration wow anyways
for that price i think i can get for cheap straight from africa with very african style if u pple get wat i mean about ”african style cos africans really sew them real different” already got a couple of them, good for her

@ dat london chicka.
Nuff Love.. I see were both from London…!!

@B_RULE

Love the links. Will bookmark them.

Actually one doesn’t need to take a trip to Africa to buy those materials….just pop up at any african market or store in your area be it America, Europe or Asia.

Total Bargain. Always.

Glad to see people calling out this fraud.

Funny thing is that you’ve got black and white designers doing justice with this type of ish and they get full support so nobody is hating in here.

Simply calling a spade a spade and she does not get a pass coz she’s black. She triflin.

Erm……

I’ve got Ghanian in me so I can totally recognise this material. I’ve even got a few outfits made up in my wardrobe.

Her clothes are amazing and she’s inspiration to me now that I know a little bit more of what she’s about.What a beautiful person to share her gift with the world.I admire her hardwork and dedication to her art.Look forward to buying her clothing very very soon.
Thank you CL for this Designer Spotlight!!

This Maya Lake girl is nothing but a crook. I am going to expose her dirty lying ass. I would have rest my case if she gave credit to the real originality of these prints which is 100% African, we have been wearing these prints even before I was born. These are what we were (and still) wearing before civilization came to African. For people who do not understand our fustration with this lying ass bitch: its like us African taking what the Western world has created for years back to African and then call it our own originality.
These clothes have been wore by our acestors and its still be wore by millions of Africans everyday at cheaper prices and better quality designs. Not only is she a lying bitch for stealing something that’s not hers and failing to reference it, she also needs to go to African and be upgraded on the designs. And she made it look nasty and cheap. When we wear it, its high class. If you don’t believe it, just try and get hold of a copy of OVATION MAGAZINE and see these prints in action at weddings etc.

Maya Lake if you are reading this, stealing other people’s idea and call it your own is not cool. You will loose credity in the not so far future. its not too late to “Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar”.

box kitten with her JJC/419 Ankara. I was highly upset when she didn’t mention any west African incluence .maybe because she’s afraid that ppl will be asking their next door neighbor to sew them some Ankara ,truthfully speaking some of the stuff that are sewn together is a complete disaster and diss to ankara fashion as in most of the pieces don’t match but then again hey! its America we buy anything….lol

it just look 60s i saw african fabric and clothes and this look nothing like it but some of the clothes she design look cute

OOLLLEEEEEEE AJI BA OLEEE!!!

IM NOT BUYING ANYTHING SHE SELLS SHE’S FRAUD. STEALING FROM AFRICA JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE

#5 COMPLETELY AGREE…African’s have been dressing likw this forever so it’s nothing new to me…it’s our cloth!

I also didn’t like how she didn’t give AFRICA any credit!!! That’s where the cloth is from give Africa some credit for your inspiration!! shesh! dissappointed.

This Maya Lake girl is a pure crook. Anyone who think this is hating for voicing a known fact is just plain ignorant.
Back to basics: Its basic principle, in all works of life. Take writing for instance: if you are writing an academic essay/project, journalism etc, you must reference the source of your information used in your writing if it’s not your own. Regardless of whether you paraphrase, twist, and write it in your own words, you must still reference the source and if you fail to do so, it’s pure plagiarism and you are penalised for it.
Think about what I have written in paragraph two for a second, now if you have a brain, you can see that this woman has done what is equivalent to plagiarism in these akara prints. Africans have been wearing these prints for centuries and centuries’. This is our (African) identity, we wear these prints everyday casually and formally at weddings (just up a copy of OVATION MAGAZINE and see these prints in action, you will be blown away by the different patterns and designs).

I for one, give credit to original creative thinking. It’s not easy to start up a business let alone venture into the ever changing world of fashion (western world fashion changes every day but our Akara Prints remains the same because its timeless) but for her to say this is original is a blatant rip off and disrespect to our culture and if any of you think this is hating then (I am sorry to say) you are just plain stupid. If you do a little research into African culture, then you will realise you are plain stupid for calling people (not just any people but African people who truly knows what we are talking about) haters on this (Maya Lake) issue.

Maya Lake if you are reading this, claiming something that’s not yours and telling people it’s our own originality is very un-cool. You will lose credibility as more African people find out about the source of your design. “Give Ceaser what belong to Ceaser”. You will actually be much more respected if you simply say this has been done before in numerous African countries and that your aim is to introduce it into the western world. It does not matter how much price tag you put on it as long as its fair trade with your suppliers, we African as well as others will respect you for it.
If you think I am a hater on this issue, you need to educate yourself.

95, 102 and 103 are all me. I did not need to call her stupid names @ my 95 comment even though she deserve it. 103 is the one to read.

Sorry me again. My 102 comment is the one to read.

If that’s the case…check out “Hemma Fashions” by 2 NYU students. Folks would definitely rock those outfits

Just sent that chick an email. It is absolutely ridiculous what she is doing. It is not African inspired, it is not just African fabric. It is an entirely African idea. Because of the misinformation in this country, people don’t understand how dynamic African fashion is. If you have been to Lagos you would know Maya’s work is a cheap knockoff at best. And for her to say African fabric is inferior is a complete insult. She either didn’t do her research or is a complete liar. Africans are some of the most fashionable people I know and I am very well traveled. There is absolutely nothing new in what she is doing and she needs to give credit.

This is complete and utter nonsense, thank you to Ghanaian Princess and others that agree with her, and to those that oppose you have a long way to understand where we are coming from. The word “hater” was used uselessly and yes, stupidly in one of the posts. Using Jay-Z and a VCR to compare to African Art/ Material is nonsense!! Ankara here in the US is sold the highest $30 and cheaper in other African countries. To say that her work is original and that she was inspired from the 50s until whatever does not prove nothing to me. To say that she was inspired from African American studies STILL does not prove nothing to me. So many of us Africans have revamped this material in so many different ways it is countless and for some lady to come up and say that she made it up her self SSERRRRIIOUSLLLYYY FUUMMMMEESS ME!!!! How dare you!! Not give us any credit Maya!! I know you have African friends or have seen other African designers on the net, or have even probably been in a African fashion and just straight up jacked our creativity and ran with it! Any one saying that she “revamped” our material and made it look “better” needs a cultural check and see the fashion industry in other countries.

This is the most i have ever wrote in a forum but this seriously angers me!!

WOW never knew my comment was going to start such a stir but Im happy it did cause some people just dont know exactly where we as african(Im niaja) are coming from. But Im glad that you guys ghanaprincess i believe and others have stated the truth. It really isnt hate. I just hope one day when I go out and wear my native clothing that i purchased overseas from an auntie in nigeria some foolish person askes me is that an origial from Maya Lake cause that person will get told off. I wont be able to control myslef Im angry like that

These comments are ridiculous. African or not African. I have two of these dresses, that I get compliments on every time I wear them. They’re beautiful and my Nigerian boyfriend and his entire family love them too. You either like them or you don’t. No sense in spending endless amounts of time deliberating about her comments. As designers, we use materials that inspire us. It may be because of a pattern, it may be the way it falls, or the way it is constructed. She is not obligated to make claims to anything. Last time I checked it was ok for us to make beautiful designs sewn from Italian wools and English cottons without speaking about the influence every 5 seconds. Does every designer with a Safari collection talk about their African influences? And for all of you with tailors …. go get it made then, and stop complaining. Start your own line inspired by your hate of Boxing Kitten. Ship all of those “innovative” designs that already exist and make your nest egg. Stop hating and be about it. She is a designer, and someone with the courage to start her own line and bring african “pedistrain” fabrics and designs to high end fashion.

Paper Trace you definatley missed the point. Its not the fact that she used African material, its the fact that she used African Material and called it her original work. Apart from tailors based here in the U.S. there are actual African designers that have been doing these designs for years, and for some one to come out of no where and say that it is there “original work” it just really does sadden me.

I’ve known about Box Kitten for 2 years now, first time I heard of her i was like wow are you serious, her stuff is not original. Two years later I’m seeing this lmaoo woowwwww

just watch the video….

designers in Nigeria doing a fashion consultation fast forward to 2:06

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSts50L2JoI

@Paper Trace: She is not a designer. She is a thieving copy cat. If she were a writer this would be PLAGIARISM.

I do not care whether your Nigerian boyfriend likes them. Of course he’d like them. Those are the clothes that Nigerian women wear. I am Nigerian too, and this fraud of a woman stole African fabrics and African DESIGNS and is trying to pass them off as her own.

She is nothing but a common thief and a talentless tailor masquerading as a designer.

Olori buruku oloshi!!!

THEY CALL NIGERIANS 419ers!!!!!! THIS WOMAN IS A 4 1 9eeeeeerr!!!!!!!! I have been wearing ankara from de womb!!!!!!!! taa, get out!!!! even my mom was wrapping me around her back in ankara since!!!!!

Paper Trace get your facts right before posting comments. It is not just African fabrics, it is African designs. The whole concept is stolen. It is not new it has been done for decades

@ Nwuese lololololololololol its true though, ankara is like £10.00 to buy and max £30.00 to sew anything you want with extra fabrics included so im really confused as to what she is trying to achieve. look in any african particularly nigerian magazine and you’ll be blown away by some of the designs, make her stuff look like childs play.

Are these prints new in the States?? I’m from South Africa and our people have been making these designs and printing these fabrics for centuries.. I have a few dresses of my own which we normally where to traditional african weddings.. Anyway its interesting to know that Americans are also into those designs and fabric.. They’re beautiful..

like i said selling sand to arabs! still SMH!

Hellagood, I love the idea that these are “stolen” designs. Nwuese, plagiarism is a strong word. Do you accuse Banana, H-n-M, Gap, and every other affordable brands of plagiarism. Is there something wrong with Tory Burch who adapted her original line from Indian and Mexicans who originated the caftan. Tibi’s line of Dashikis? Or, DVF’s line of Kimonos adapted by the Japanese? 1/2 of design is putting your concepts out there. I’m not knocking Nana Bottateng, a Nigerian designer, for making custom tailored menswear. It’s just design people. Designers can take inspiration from wherever they want. Everything is knocked off. It comes in all forms. Almost everything in everyone’s closet on this post comes from something before them.

yummy. i love these clothes!

UGH. This kind of stuff infuriates me. I’m tired of designers trying to be “cutting edge” but scamming the real people behind the innovation. I too am Nigerian, and its a shame that my west-african brothers and sister are not getting their due. Actually, ALL my African people are getting ripped-off. They did the same thing with Ethiopian clothing not too long ago.

Paper Trace like seriously get ooooovvverrrrrr your self literally. I really don’t know how this could be repeated so many times. All of the designers that you mention of course have already acknowledged the fact that they are from other countries, but HM, Tory Burch, and Gap etc can not be compared because they do not use cultural material from international countries. Like I said before, ALL THESE DESIGNS that she sewed has already been done before and for her to call it her ORIGINAL work is PLAGARISM!! It is different if she sewed it and called it a day, but for her to call it i repeat, her ORIGINAL WORK is plagarism…………………….end of story

I must admit, I love how she took our cloth and made American or European designs. I think think that is brilliant!!! However, she needs to stop being a hater and give credit where credit is due…PERIOD!

I think they only way to shut her down is to buy this fabric from the store and make our own creations. As being half Nigerian I can assure you this fabric is nothing new, but I do think imitation is a sincere form of flattery.

So to my West African ladies, maybe we can design looks for the people out there at a cheaper price.

And we are not hating. She is hating on us and so are the people who think these beautiful fabrics are considered ugly. They are just jealous because they don’t have ‘ROOTS’ for others to ’steal’ ,lol

@ Paper Trace

His name is NANA BOATENG and he is a GHANAIAN designer who is making quite a name for himself for his bespoke suits, just like his cousin Ozwald Boateng.

This just pisses me off.

There’s nothing creative about this. This is nothing new. She took a trip to Ghana, Nigeria etc. saw these designs and prints and now wants to take credit for it.

Tell it like it is. Give credit where it’s due.

I have known the designer Maya Lake since she was a child: She is the daughter of Oliver Lake, a co-founder of the World Saxaphone Quartet, and Marion Lake founder and owner of Dem Two Hands in Montclair New Jersey. On her mother’s side Maya comes from a long line of creative and enterprising people, some of whom I had the good fortune to know back in Guyana as a young artist. The De Caries family have roots in Guyana that go back over a century :They were merchants, leaders in the green movement before there was a green movement; they were against killing to eat before there was such a term as “vegan” existed. They loved things natural, supported native peoples and were advocates for native women. I believe Marion Lake studied weaving with the African Artist and Rutgers professor emiritus Emma Amos and to this day still sews some of the things for sale in her Montclair store. Her brother, the drummer Gene Lake, is a fixture on the international Jazz scene. His wife, the scholar Belinda Edmundson, is a tenured professor in African American Studies at Rutgers, Newark. She is the author of Making Men, Gender, Literary Authority and Womens Writing in Caribbean Narrative. I attended a lecture by Yinka Shonibare MBE at the Newark Museum with Maya and Marion recently : Her pedigree and influences as an artist are clear. This work is authentic. PLEASE!!!

@Risa, hun I understand where your coming from but the argument is, is that the whole modernized designs that she is doing and trying to portray has already been done and that she is trying to call it her “Original” work.

Go ‘head Ms. Lake… I’m so very proud of you, congrats on ur up and coming success. Came a long way from Maya L and Maya G hanging on Adelphi.

@ victor…
Exactly what makes her work authentic?

Man, this discussion got me all heated up. Victor L. Davson, I do not see THE CORRELATION between Maya’s family history and the authenticity behind her work. I had hoped she was part African but clearly she’s not.

The point is, this here work is NOT authentic. I agree with the other posts, what is missing here is recognition… Everyday, everywhere in West Africa seamstresses and tailors make the same kind of dresses (you’ll be amazed by the array of styles they make, cuting the prints, agencing the colors, true creativity at its best) for a fraction of the price she offers, I truly feel insulted… And no, she doen’t “modernize” anythng, as a kid I used to wear shorts and overalls made off ankara!! Come on!!

I’m hurt, really, I feel for Africa. Exploitation at its best.

This designer is clear about her milieu and her influences. Please!!!

thankyou sooo much Angel for addressing that they are Ankara prints! Im so happy SOMEONE acknowledged that. I am from the Ashanti tribe desent, first generation Canadian, and Im LAUGHINGGG RIGHT NOWW at these designers who try to be original.

As for her not mentioning her “inspiration”…its whatever. my parents are ghanaian and me and my mom were sitting here laughing at her website lol. my mom was like “I HAVE THAT!!” Just like the “indian inspired” prints ripped off the people of india, same is happening here. lol all i know is that i aint paying 200+ DOLLARS for sumthing you can get, customized and all, for like 50 DOLLARS.

chill out maya.

WOW THAT’S SO DISRESPECTFUL FOR HER NOT TO EVEN MENTION AFRICA!!

NO OFFENSE TO ANYONE BUT THE CLOTHES ARE A LITTLE TOO BUSY FOR

MY LIKING. AFRICA IS BEAUTIFUL BUT HER CREATIONS ARE SO-SO LOL

Victor you seem not to understand the question..

WHAT IS ORIGINAL ABOUT HER WORK????

This has already been there and done that by so many African designers, and YES Yinka Shonibare is a designer that you mentioned that you both went to his seminar. Was she influenced by him??? Was she influenced by other African Designers?? Was she influenced by my fellow Africans who wear these designs non stop and manipulate it into soooo many designs?? and then she calls it her AUTHENTIC and ORIGINAL WORK???? ppuuuuhhhleeaasssseeee!!

No one is hating on her, most definatley not on a African perspective lol never I hate the fact that people take from us and run with it.

iam not mad at here making her hustle…but there’s nothing original about it its been out foreverrrrr….so iam guessing one African American women create an expansive line that’s when everyone want to hop on it…really? wow! by the way iam Nigerian and my aunt tailors these Ankara and lace in her basement and she not on concrete.

I did an african fashion show with AFRICAN designers where the clothes looked like this and had african fabric. I think the designer had a good idea and it got celebs thinking its cool but like I said before not a new idea and although nothing is really a new idea the designers still mention their inspirations whether its from the 80’s or where ever. As a west African I just wish she had said where it was from no hating her she is hustling just like anyother person out there but just be true about what your doing is all that’s being asked.

P.S. I wouldnt pay 200 and up for any of the designs cuz my brother who is living in africa can “design” her whole collection for me FOR FREE!

I checked her website to see what she had to say about her line. SMH, these days you can sell anything to anyone with words, you’ll think that her work is the product of endless days/nights of studies, research and inner thinking. The seamstresses in African know nothing about civil right movement or african-american history. somehow they manage to make the exact same clothes, just in a more classy, beautiful, and authentic way.

Please Maya, you obviously have good taste (in choosing the fabric) and mabe talent, do not kill what could be a great career by making these kinds of mistakes. There,s no wrong in borrowing from other cultures, but aknowledgement is soooo important and presenting your work as original is just plain mean. Seeing that you studied African-american history and the civil rigts movement you should know what it feels like to be exploited, denigrated, overlooked. It’s not ok, and it never will be ok.

@Mecca, I agree. sorry for the misreference. Love his work. @risa, i couldn’t agree more
@Naija Da Vixen, ha ha, I beg to differ. Tory is straight influenced from Indian Caftans. That’s how she got her start. Her work has changed and grown since then, but $300 caftans are always part of her line. The other brands are not original either … which is my point, no one is. Their designs are “plagiarized” as well, by your standards, so they most definitely can be compared.

She started her company in 2006 she says… Here in Brooklyn, 2 Nigerians sisters have been doing this a decade before and has also had Erykah and Common wearing thier designs. They are actually Nigerian and ALWAYS give props to their Nigerian roots.

http://harrietsalteregoonline.com/

INFFFFO ur highly gassed nobody is hating, well done to lil miss maya for this but to come with out and lie saying her stuff is original and unique and not even have the decency to tell the world were these beautiful ankara fabrics come from AFRICA..WEST AFRICA is what is irking (pissing) us west africans off..she said nothing about the design brain of those who design the fabrics. sweety its nothing new i just came back from nigeria were i designed outfits usiing ankara…and they arw hot they wernt no $200. there are other beautiful fabrics which these gassed designers will still and say nothing about its origins like asho-oke and gele etc…(google and get to know if u don’t)

all we r sayin is a lil recognition…

there was an african rise fashion show a few months you shld see what africa can doo….

its the direspect of her not acknowledging the core west african roots and if she did open her mouth to say the quality of west african produced ankara is worse than the us produced ones she’s rather idiotic..we do use the authentic techniques

i agree with SUGABABE. I’m Nigerian and i have all sorts of ankara’s home that are really nice and not as expensive as this. all you need ia a tailor.

hey Angel if you really want to see creativity with Ankara check COTE MINOU or SIKA DESIGNS. GOOGLE THEM> Would put this woman to shame!!

Ghana ALLLL DAYYY

@Paper Trace your ignorance is GLARING. Nana Boateng is GHANAIAN. if you were turly dating a 9JA you would immediately know that just by looking at his freakin NAME. Nana . Boateng a Naija name? ROFLMAO. stop it!

And please don’t call the “Safari” inspired deisgns as some of you here called them to African design. Africans do not wear clothing with zebra and cheetah prints on them. the idea is inherently stupid.

there is nothing new about you creation… this has been around for years….. this is african ankara fabric…. new need to know more about your history on ankara before u can start saying its your own…

how can u take all the credit in this when u know nothing about ankara (african designs) or where it came from… u dont kno any history behind it…. shame on u!!!!!

WOW!!!! thanks Paper Trace for helping me make my point!!! =) They are not original and at least Tory made a point claiming that that is her influence and that it is not her original work. Yes! Indian Kaftans have already been done, but has Tory claimed that it is her original work?? NO!! She was “Inspired” by the people of India and I do respect her for that.

However, Maya Lake, hm, well her stuff is not original which she is claiming that it is. Are you actually getting that?? She is claiming that this is her “Original” work when there are countless of designers in Africa and Africans based in the US doing this stuff. Its kinda of sad that now nothing is original and there are knock offs every where. Does any one understand that this isn’t just plain old cotton, silk, satin that we are talking about? This is cultural material such as ankara, agbada, osikani, woodina the list goes forth…. that is used that we have already manipulated to give it a modernized twist and someone out of no where claims that it is there original work, sell it in the US for 300 bucks, and gets credit for it.

Like I mentioned before, I’m not mad that she used the material, not at all, I’m actually flattered, I’m mad and others are upset that she is using our material, designing it and saying that it is her “original” work and claiming it was various time eras that influenced her or what ever…

Paper Trace, its like getting Saris, sewing it into there traditional attire, or in other ways and claiming that it is your original work but not even acknowledging the fact that you are not giving them any credit because of the influence they had on you.

Like I said no one is hating on her, she can do what she does, her stuff is nice but I would appreciate if she could not claim that this is her Original stuff… that is why alot of Africans are getting angry, we just some times feel like others take our shine or credibility and run with it, and it hurts…honestly

but who cares right? nothing is original now these days….

@ inffo……”ok. glad to see that everyone has had their glass of “hater-aid” this morning. My favorite thing is to watch black people hate on other black people for no particular reason.”

is she even black? i dont think so.

Please folks, show your love!

This designer is legit.

Victor, I respect and understand your position, in that we always want to encourage those that we know and love, but please, please, step aside for a minute and take a look at what we’ve been trying to say.

I don’t know where you’re from but you say Maya is (part) guyanese, so I’ll take this example :
What if someone - let’s say an up and coming white american singer, comes out with a hot new single, which they claim they wrote and composed (from beginning to end, lyrics, melody and everything)… and you realize that this is the EXACT same song your grandmothers/mothers//sisters have proudly been singing for decades back home in Guyana…

How would you feel???? Would you want to show love?

If she did sew the garments then there’s no doubt she’s talented. I think she is. But does she even know the MEANING behind some of the fabrics up there? Like the one with the Virgin Mary (that she obviously cut and assembled with other prints) does she know what this stand for? Those are used exclusively for religious events, like the Assumption of Mary, weddings, funerals, etc…

She should have gone further and explain the history behind the prints. Does she know that most of these prints have names (titles)? Like the one called “Obama” (very recent) or the one called “Ton pied mon pied” (much older) in Ivory Cost…

Culture is sacred. If you can’t honor it, then leave it alone.

You don’t just go around, use what you want in order to make money and call it “creativity” or “originality”.