I purchased a lot of material from AKN Fabrics over the years and will definitely shop there again in the near future.

AKN Fabrics has a wide variety of African prints for very great quality. The staff are very friendly and patient. I bought two types of fabrics. Minimum is 6 yards and they were both $25 for 6 yards. I will definitely be coming here again. They also take credit card. Please be aware that they are very strict with their closing time so don't expect service if you arrive 10-15 minutes before closing time read more

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I came here to find some fabric for head wraps. I had no idea how awesome of a collection I'd get to choose from. It was almost overwhelming!! As you walk in, there are stacks and stacks, aisle after aisle of beautiful textures, colors and designs. I must have looked awestruck because the gentlemen thankfully asked me some specific questions and made some recommendations to help me get started. I would l have been there all day otherwise. ;-) I left with several beautiful pieces for myself, my mother and a friend. Go check them out! read more

AKN Fabrics - Fabrics from the excess pile - plenty for head wraps - Fabric Stores Near Me - New York, New York

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I've been looking for an African fabric place for awhile. After having exhausted all my human contacts, I deferred to the Google for help. Luck would have it that AKN Fabrics was a highly recommended establishment by Google, Yelp and TimeOut. So, here I am. This compact store is teeming with the most wide array of beautiful fabrics from the Motherland I've ever seen. Four good aisles, maybe five packed to the brim with any color combination of fabric you can imagine. Staff is minimal but they are all business and eager to help. I imagine part of their willingness to help comes from how small the space is. It's not the type of store that's conducive to milling about aimlessly. You should find what you need and be on your way to the tailor. Yards upon yards and all reasonably priced. read more

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After taking a coach bus up from Philly, this was my last stop after being lost in the garment district all day. I had frequented the website many times, but I took advantage if the opportunity to come and pick out my fabric in person. I highly suggest that everyone does this. Plus, I saved on shipping costs! First things first. For me, this place was not easy to find. If one of the salesmen hadn't been standing outside the building and asked me "You need fabric?" I probably would still be standing there. I don't know how he knew what i was looking for(Nigerian intuition?), but I'm glad he was there. He told me he needs to do that or else new customers would not know where to go. Ya don't say... The store is on the 5th floor at the end of a hallway that includes stores that sell wholesale jewelry. Its filled floor to ceiling with fabric with very little walking room. I had to put my bags down to really be able to get in there. There was no stock fish/African market odor at all, thank goodness. I was helped by a very nice man named Miguel who knew the price of every item and was able to snatch my desired fabrics from the very bottom of towering piles of cloth, all with a friendly smile. Actually, everyone was really nice. Nobody was pushy nor was I pressured to buy more. Very laid back atmosphere. Overall, I had a very good experience and I will probably make another trip up there so I can have more time to really scour their stock. I snapped some pictures (in stealth mode, they don't like you taking pictures) to show my mom and I'll include them here! Oh and my only complaint is that the store gets HOT after about 10 minutes of browsing. Thankfully they have a water dispenser. But they should really keep the door open to let some air in. read more

AKN Fabrics - Some shelved fabrics at AKN Fabrics. Mostly Vlisco. - Fabric Stores Near Me - New York, New York

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This is my go to place for African fabrics. I send people here for the prices, selection, and volume. The selection is second to none. There are usually 3 different west African countries being represented plus the indian owners, so there is no less than 8 languages spoken for your convenience. The prices are fairly set (haggling is kind of a waste) and the minimum for 90% of the fabrics is 6 yards. Today I needed something bright, new and unique for an event this weekend. I surely got that at AKN. Most of the employees are super nice, some more so than others. Remember it's on the 5th floor, to the right off the elevators, at the very end of the hallway. read more

AKN Fabrics - Beautiful wax fabric! - Fabric Stores Near Me - New York, New York

I received my order today from AKN. I ordered 8 different fabrics totaling $178 and only received 3 that were the exact patterns and colors and one was the correct pattern but not the color combination I choose. I am so glad to took a screen shot before I placed my order. I am so disappointed. I will never order from this place again. The other four fabrics I received are what AKN choose to replace my choices with rather than refund my money for the patterns they could not fulfill. Inside the box was a hand written note that said they tried to call me but that my voicemail was full. No contact to discuss what I had received. I am not sure why they could not have sent an email or just refunded my money for the ones they did not have, that is retail standards. I did not give permission for AKN to replace my order with any other patterns other than what I choose. So I have $138 worth of fabric I did not select. This is very disappointing! When a store is out of an item they do not choose for the customer they give them a refund, I will never order from this business again. I spent a lot of money and I cannot use the fabric choices that AKN decided to replace for anything that I had plan to make. read more

I have used their Beautiful fabric for years and I have referred many people to them we love it!!

Be sure and double check before you spend time and money to go here. They won't let you in and are very rude about it. There is a sign on the door that says online only and another that says knock here. When you knock you get an angry man who tells you to basically go away. It looks like they have great stuff from outside. Too bad. read more

I don't recommend that fabric store. I ordered fabrics sometimes at there that was over $200. They sent me didn't choose fabrics every time !!! I can't believed it. I don't trust that store and owner. The owner is rudest. I never buy it that store anymore. read more

I came here yesterday around 5:50PM which was 10mims before the store was closed. But once i entered the store, they told me to leave and come back tomorrow so didnt let me look around at all. So this morning I visited again but they sew me like very annoying customer because I had my camera on me. But i told them I promised I wont take a photo but they looked dubious so i put my camera back into my backpack finally they let me look around but the one of male staffs was very annoying and kept asking me "are you ready to buy? are you really going to buy? " . Also I heard the staff told other one that she had to watch me carefully because i had a camera and those customer caused a trouble. after i heard what he said, i decided not to come back here never again. so rude and inrespectful to customers. the reason why I gave 3 stars is because they had a variety of African fabrics and they were very pretty! Probably I will buy new fabric from online but not at store for sure. read more

I have been shopping at AKN Fabrics for years (in-store). I love going there in person. I'm like a kid in a candy store, and the staff there is very helpful. Due to covid19, I haven't been able to get to NYC, and they have been closed. I ordered fabric online and couldn't believe how fast my order came! They are the best, and I will continue to shop there. read more

I learned of this shop a few years ago from the amazing designer of Oyato (Google them!). Their customer service isn't anything to write home about: it's not bad/terrible but nothing stands out about that aspect of the business either. I'm giving it the great rating for the awesome fabric selection! I'm convinced they have almost every African wax print/ankara fabric that exists! The store is packed, literally, from floor to ceiling with fabric! It's tight because there really is fabric everywhere. Some get overwhelmed because there's so much and you don't know where to start. You definitely won't take it all in on the first trip so just keep going back! The prices are great but you have to buy in bulk which is normally a 5 or 6 yard bundle of a fabric- they do not cut fabric there. But they have whole sections of 5, 6 yard fabric bundles that cost as low as $20. If you sew then you know that's a very good price for that much fabric. Some fabrics are $10 or $15 for 6 yards. I wish a shop like this was owned by Africans (it's is Indian owned I believe) since we are the main customers in there but until that day comes, I will continue to love and shop at this store! read more

This is my second experience buying fabric from AKN. I originally purchased items online and because a few items were out of stock, AKN sent replacements. I went to AKN's midtown location to make an exchange. I had no problems once I arrived at store. I was able to browse and pick my replacement fabrics. Staff was friendly and helpful. A few items I choose instore where priced a bit higher than my exchange but owner agree to let me have it for equal value. After briefly speaking with owner. She informed I could order online, then call the store to arrange for pickup, saving the $9.95 delivery fee. She also suggested I call prior to placing my order to ensure all items requested are in stock. read more

I'm absolutely in love with my Ankara Kente-like fabrics! While browsing online for the latest Ankara styles,I decided to buy some fabric and get some outfits custom made. I came upon aknfabrics online and was pleased with the nice variety of fabrics they had as well as reasonable prices. I called to make sure what I wanted was in stock and how long it would take and a lady named Linda assured me they were in stock and shipping would be quick because they are located in NYC and I'm in NJ. Sure enough,I ordered Friday morning,and received my items today on Tuesday. there is a $10 shipping fee that guarantees fast shipping. I'm very pleased and will be ordering from them again very soon. This will be my new staple spot for African fabrics. read more

AKN Fabrics - Beautiful ankara kente fabrics! - Fabric Stores Near Me - New York, New York

Don't go to the location on 29th street. I arrived and there was a sign on the door saying buy online, but knock. I knocked, and the man wouldn't open the door. Said to go online or show a picture of what I wanted. I asked if I could look around and he said no (did not open the door). So I said okay and went to another, different seller down the street, which I luckily had as a backup option. I don't buy fabric online. The website does not say the location is closed and makes it seem like you can shop in person, which is annoying because I traveled far specifically to come here only to be turned away. They have 2 addresses online which is also confusing, but I didn't go to the broadway address. I went to the one on 29th street before going to a completely different store with wax print down the street. read more

We are a retail store and sell some African Fabrics. We called to place an order and the man (i refuse to call him a gentleman) on the phone was very rude to my wife. We were going to place about a $3000 order, but we will take our business else where. I think if you need to purchase on-line and not call them, you might be okay; however if you call them, be prepared for rudeness. read more

Nice African prints but pushy salesperson. The owner stays at his desk and doesn't get involved. The website is not accurate and lists lower prices than what is quoted in store. I didn't buy anything because I can't buy in a rushed atmosphere. The whole store is about 250 sq ft at the end of the hallway on the fifth floor. It is strictly fabrics but be careful, because the quality of some of them is not good enough. The best fabrics were the woven cotton for $9/yard, but at that price it is no longer a bargain but about the same as I could get anywhere in New Jersey. read more

A small gem stacked with incredible wax prints from Ghana. Friendly helpful staff, incredible prices, e.g. $20 for 6 yards of good quality wax prints. Bought over 30 yards and had to go and buy a small suitcase to transport it home to Long Island. An understatement that I loved it!! read more

I love this place! I've only shopped online but I always get my fabric within two days. I plan on visiting the store this weekend and hopefully I'll be able to leave in a reasonable amount of time. They have different african print fabrics to choose from. Great prices and different grades of fabric. Basically you can choose from cheap african print to a more expensive, better quality selection also. The only down side is..when ordering online, they never respond to email. I ordered something that they didn't carry anymore and no one at the store contacted me to issue a refund or ask if I wanted something different. I ended up calling the store and the clerk told me they were out of stock and I needed to choose something else. They were still great to do business with and I'll always shop here. read more

Great for African Fabrics (prints, mud cloth). Prices are set (as another reviewer mentioned don't bother trying to haggle). The team there is helpful. It's not at street level so look at the address and find that building..there is a guard at the desk and you have to elevator to the floor. You will pass some other jewelry/trimming type store fronts on the way down the hall if you need any of that stuff. I got the feeling there must be a heck of a lot in this building...if I had time I might have perused the directory to see what else I could find there. read more

I ordered three cloths on line. Two of them were good. The third one smelled of stockfish/ an African market. I could not believe it because you cannot return. I took it to a tailor and he said that he will iron it thoroughly to reduce the strong smell on the cloth. I am afraid to buy cloth on line again from them. But I would surely buy from them if I visit NY and could see the fabric and verify that it had no odor. I hope that their business always progresses. BUT please don't ship fabrics that have such strong odors. read more

I went to AKN Fabrics for the second time yesterday. Ive purchased approximately 160 yards of fabric for bridal party attire for my upcoming August 31st wedding. They have a large variety of African prints and a really helpful staff. The salesman went up and down the aisles of the store to find me the number of yards I needed for each of my fabric selections. The store is probably a little over 1000 sq ft and the aisles in the store are narrow because of all of the fabric. I looked at other African fabric distributors before deciding to purchase from AKN and no where else could I find the variety and volume of fabric I needed. I went to places in Harlem that had huge selections of various prints but none of the shops had enough yards of each fabric to suit my needs besides AKN. I spend $5 a yard for the prints I purchased, and $20 a yard for the decorated lace. Overall, I was very pleased with my shopping experience and have already referred family members to go back to AKN for additional prints. AKN is my new go-to shop for African prints and lace. read more

The store is a ripoff. They don't offer any discounts for multiple purchases. The prices online are completely different from when you visit the store. Instore prices will change and are higher than online. They try to see how much they can get from each customer. Prices will change with every visit to the store, they basically rip you off. SCAMMERS, lol THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF. read more

Ordered my fabric online, and I was really excited to get my order. But i quickly realized the fabric just wasn't good quality, the worse I have seen so far. I saw the reviews, some bad some good. So decided to place my order just hoping I would have a different experience. Most of the fabrics was so thin, I could literally see through it, some of the fabrics were really hard and way beyond the normal wax African print fabric should have. I will not order from them again! disappointing! read more

I don't live in nyc, but visited this store a few years back after seeing their website. I was really impressed w the sales guy - I told him i had seen something on the website with hearts on it (pretty vague)... and he zipped right over and pulled out the exact fabric I wanted. The price was the same as on the website. Everyone was working there seemed quite nice, but I didn't spend a lot of time in the store. read more

You really can't get a sense of the scale of an african textile design without seeing it in person-- so its always better to go to the store. Thankfully this store is so well stocked. Ankara, Wax, Superwax, Bazin. Great variety. Prices are reasonable too. I had good customer service and would return in a heartbeat. Give yourself at least an hour for a visit, preferably on a day that's not too warm. It is a small shop and it heats up in the summer. read more

The quality of the fabrics from these people are the lowest possible and the people running this business are rip off's. I bought fabric from them for over $200.00 online from their website and they changed some of the fabrics they sent thinking I would not notice and also one design that I bought two of they only sent one, fortunately for me and unfortunately for them I picked on this immediately I got the fabrics. it has been a 7 weeks and it took three to get them to send the one they did not send on the order and still am yet to get my refund. My advice is DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THESE PEOPLE , THEY ARE NOT HONEST AND NOT WORTHY OF ANY GOOD HONEST BUSINESS. In addition to their cheating ways their fabric is nothing worth the trouble either......................I am now working to dispute the charge with my credit card company. AGAIN STAY AWAY FROM THESE RIP OFFSSS!! The owner is very arrogant and talks like your money aint worth nothing but is not willing to give it back either even for a mistake that is theirs. read more

i love it!! huge variety of wax prints, weaves, mens fabrics... i didn't find the t salespeople to be pushy At All... they were very welcoming and understood that i wanted to browse and peek around even after I'd made a purchase. tiny store, packed full of fabric - my idea of heaven. authentic Dutch wax prints, $30 for 6 yards. dangerously good!! read more