The Damask Textile

Damask is a reversible figured fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibers, with a pattern formed by weaving. Damasks are woven with one warp yarn and one weft yarn, usually with the pattern in warp-faced satin weave and the ground in weft-faced or satin weave.

Damask is usually used for mid-to-high-quality garments, meaning the label tends to have a higher definition and a more “expensive” look.

In Nigeria, the popular damask fabric is a printed stiff brocade dubbed as Okunnowo Damask, after the popular Damask Fabric Merchant, Late Chief Emmanuel Okusanya Okunnowo, popularly known as Papa Oni Damask who popularized his love for Damask! It is mostly used as a head wrap ( gele ), scarf ( ipele ) or wrapper ( iro )