This is globalization, ladies and gentlemen. Barack Hussein Obama, half Kenyan, half US American man, by way of Hawaii, Indonesia, and Chicago, is the new President of the United States. Cut to 125th Street, where gentlemen from Senegal are selling Dutch wax cloth fabric (allegedly) fabricated in Mali, with a pattern depicting our new leader. Complete with US flags, "yes we can" slogans, and a lovely photograph of the photogenic President, several options for patterns are on view. A dress according to the shopkeeper imitating Michelle Obama's ball gown, is out front. (above) It adapted the Grecian style of the single-strapped gown designed by Taiwanese New York-based Jason Wu, to West African ladies' wear, critiquing or at least commenting on, the pattern of the original. The fabric was also incorporated into the Western t-shirt, as well as into an African man's shirt. Of course, I bought 3 yards and plan to rock my Western-style Barack Obama wax cloth dress this Summer.
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