African Wax Print Fabric Design and Production History of Akosombo Textiles Limited in Ghana

Kow Eduam Ghartey, Osuanyi Quaicoo Essel (2023)

Studies on the economic impacts of the wax print companies in Ghana abound. However, the design history of the wax prints design culture in post-independence Ghana has received little or no scholarly focus. This study focuses on Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL) now Akosombo Industrial Company Limited, one of the giants in wax prints in Ghana. Historical research design and expert purposive sampling were used. In all sixteen (16) respondents were selected which comprised of designers, production managers, sales representatives and managers. Semi-structured interview and document review was used to collect the data while available artefacts formed part of the data collected. Historical and document analyses were used as data analysis methods. The study traced the wax prints fabric design and production history of Akosombo Industrial Company Limited, which has been in existence since 1967, highlighting its major fabric design evolution for over five decades of its existence. The study concluded that from 1967 to 2018, ATL produced two (2) main types of designs: ABC Wax designs and Java designs. ABC Wax designs were designed and printed in England while Java designs were designed and printed in Ghana. From 1967 to 2022 the company produced its 19,837 design and counting. AICL design and print both ABC and Java in Ghana from 2018 to present (2023). The study therefore recommends that, AICL should prioritize the creation of fabric design catalogue from 1967 to 2023 for reference, and teaching and learning of designing in Textiles and Fashion related schools in Ghana. The creation of such a catalogue will serve as resource material for analysis on the ABC wax print designs and Java design and to establish how they appertain to Ghanaian culture; as well as for fabric design idea development.