Handwoven Akwete Two Piece Set - Nigerian Top and Maxi Skirt

A two piece set cut from handwoven Akwete cloth: a short sleeve top with a full length maxi skirt, in bands of orange, purple, cream, green and black. Akwete is not a print. It is woven by hand by Igbo women in Akwete, a town in Abia State in south east Nigeria, on an upright wall loom that is the widest in Nigeria at roughly 100 to 127cm across. Most West African handweaving comes off a narrow strip loom and has to be stitched together in bands. Akwete does not, so the pattern runs unbroken across the cloth. The motifs are floated into the weave thread by thread as the fabric grows, which means the design is part of the structure of the cloth rather than a layer printed on the surface. The top is cut close through the body with a short sleeve. The skirt falls full to the ankle, so it moves when you walk and holds its shape when you stand. Together they read as one deliberate outfit rather than separates that happen to match. Available in UK 8 to 16. Wear the set together for weddings, owambe, introductions, church and traditional ceremonies, or split it: the skirt carries a plain white shirt or a black top on its own. Because every length of cloth is woven by hand, the placement and alignment of the bands vary from set to set. No two are cut from an identical stretch of fabric. Care: hand wash cold or dry clean. Do not bleach and do not soak. Hang to dry away from direct sunlight and press on a medium heat on the reverse.