Whether through its brightly coloured prints or by featuring friends or friends of friends as models, the brand focuses on embracing its African roots, engaging with the local community and representing a youthful, athletic and artistic Africa.
10 May, 2016
Founded
by Yodit Eklund, a creative entrepreneur, Bantu Wax is a
brand with a unique mission: to create African-made apparel for
Africans. While Eklund was studying environmental economics and
policy at UC Berkeley, she spent a lot of her off-time with local
surf crowds and found a gap in the surfwear market for
African-inspired designs.
Her instincts were right. Shortly after the launch of her line
Bantu Wax, Barneys New York and Opening Ceremony picked up the
collection. But unlike other brands of a similar nature, Eklund
realised the irony of selling an African brand in the US, and
decided to take Bantu Wax in a different direction. At this point,
she redefined Bantu’s mission, and shifted focus to expand its
African market and stimulate the African economy.
In the past year, Bantu opened its flagship store in Dakar,
Senegal and with overwhelming support from the community is quickly
expanding throughout the continent. In its three shops (the other
two are in Cape
Town and Taghazout,
Morocco) and online the brand sells both men’s and women’s
beachwear, including wildly patterned
swimsuits, graphic tees, custom-made surfboards, beach towels
and beach bags. All of the merchandise is sustainable and fairly
made.
Whether through its brightly coloured prints or by featuring
friends or friends of friends as models, the brand focuses on
embracing its African roots, engaging with the local community and
representing a youthful, athletic and artistic Africa. The line is
changing perspectives of the continent’s fashion with their
commitment to telling Africa’s story by Africans.
Bantu Wax
Dakar, Senegal
Dakar, Senegal
Surfers, afro punks, urban nomads.
Africa has 26,000km of coastline with uncrowded epic waves and
an incredible youth culture.
Distraction. So much is happening on the continent, things are
moving at the speed of light, and staying focused on one thing can
be really tough.
Barneys, like many others, has been an amazing retail partner in
developing our brand internationally. That said, it was really
important for me to pull back and focus on Africa and its youth who
are the inspiration and the reason Bantu Wax even exists. I also
wanted to be closer to the beach and surf more which wasn’t
conducive with running a wholesale business.
Black people swim.
Surf, music, art…. and the food (sorry that’s four)
N’gor is famous for its right, but on the other side of the
island
there is an epic left.
Timbuktu, because it actually exists and it has an amazing music
festival. Shashemene, Ethiopia. Taghazout, Morocco. Waves for days
and some amazing couscous.
Saido Dicko, François-Xavier Gbré, Cheikh Ndiaye.
Our store in Taghazout just opened.