Annabelle African-Print Dresses

Usually I’m skeptical about buying clothes from street markets because you never know if the cut is going to be off. But it wasn’t just the vibrant African prints that set the rows of fetching Annabelle dresses apart at the Brooklyn Flea last weekend; it was the beautiful tailoring. Strapless dresses in particular have to be perfectly constructed to stay up, and this one, on sale for $80, way exceeds expectations for a flea market find, even if it is this designer-centric market.

Winner of Bravo’s “The Fashion Show” last summer, designer Anna McCraney is selling many of the Annabelle designs you saw last year now at the Flea. Sourced from African stores in the neighborhood, the traditional fabrics have been worked into sexy, modern cuts. McCraney’s designs seem even more timely this year with the smash hit Fela on Broadway. One look at this show, Tony winner for best costumes, and you will see both the strong influence African culture has had on fashion (Marc by Marc Jacobs and Balenciaga come to mind) and wonder why we don’t see more of it.

And at this point in the season, the collection is on sale! Think of Annabelle as the perfect party dress for a crazy-hot night.

Annabelle clothing, $25 and up on sale, at the Fort Greene Brooklyn Flea on Saturdays.