What is a ‘Super Wax Hollandais’?

Many people come to Vlisco searching for a ‘Super Wax Hollandais’, but they will never find it. How come?

The phrase ‘Super Wax Hollandais’ is like a portmanteau, combining two different words, like ‘Nigeria’ and ‘Hollywood’ make up the portmanteau ‘Nollywood’. But whereas Nollywood actually exists, a Super Wax Hollandais does not!  

A ‘super Wax Hollandais’ or a ‘Super Wax, Hollandais’?

‘Super Wax Hollandais’ is a blend of the terms ‘Super Wax’ and ‘Wax Hollandais’. A Super Wax  is a specific extra densely woven luxurious cotton fabric with a two-coloured crackling effect, whereas a Wax Hollandais refers to a wide range of fabrics made by Vlisco, the Dutch ('Hollandais') producer of wax fabrics. So, although the term ‘Super Wax Hollandais’ may be used to indicate how superior a Wax Hollandais is, or to say that a Super Wax comes from the Netherlands, it is not the name of a specific fabric.