Tendence 2012 at Messe Frankfurt: Textiles out of Africa

These bright baskets by Salem's Ethiopia echo another color trend we've seen for quite a few seasons: neon.

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A trio of rugs by Saleem's Ethiopia.

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We loved the zigzag pattern and mint-green hue of this piece, also by Salem's Ethiopia.

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Casa Anin, a company from Namibia, makes these hand-embroidered, 200-thread-count cotton duvets. Perfect for a kids' room.

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These blankets are from Kenyan company Kenana. The blankets are woven from hand-spun wool yarn. The company also produces some awfully precious stuffed animals for kids.

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Fried-egg-like rug by Ezra Innovative Design out of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The company seeks to "to create new handicrafts, to reinvent traditional materials, and to generate new and sustainable employment opportunities for women."

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Mima Ben Niled of Tunisian company Etandart exhibited these foutas, a large piece of cotton fabric traditionally used in hammams. We loved the pinstripes and colorways.

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Here's a weaver from Tunisia who uses a technique that involves weaving a north African plant called "alfa" into a fabric. Though the material is a bit rough, it looks just like a wool rug. Soon, the rugs will be distributed through bloou.com (the site is a work in progress).

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An explosion of color from Montapis.

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Onto a more subtle note with these pieces by Tunisian designer Majla Chubbeh.

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Bright oranges and blues from Majla Chubbeh.

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