The designer sister of former Beatles singer Paul McCartney has taken the humble Ankara fabric and turned it into a top end designer wear.

Samples of dresses made out of the African print fabric was spotted by outraged Africans on the designer’s website going for over £1000.

The Range was also seen on sale at top London store Harrods with a £1175 price tag.

Although some see this as a smart business move but many see it as exploitation of an indigenous African produce, as a typical 6-meters swathe which the fabric usually is sold in, is a mere 2,000 Nigerian naira and an average of 15,000 naira for the top end ranges (£4 – £22).

The most that I have paid a London based Nigerian designer, or tailor as we more commonly call them, to make me an outfit from fabric personally supplied, is £60. Others can charge up to £100 or £150. In Nigeria, designers making clothes for society ladies, politician wives, Nollywood stars and other celebrities are known to charge as much as 50,000 naira or £100.

One would now wonder why the same fabric made into very basic styles would attract such high price tags?

I guess the difference – the only difference is in the name of the tailor.

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