Fashion Week Studio has highlighted the need to showcase original African designs through an initiative called Fashion Week Studio Pan African Luxury Group.
The initiative is expected to be launched at the New York Fashion Week in February 2024.
Some of the local designers expected to showcase their work at the Milan Fashion Week studio show and Paris Fashion Week studio show include Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa, Don Design, and Jessica Jane.
Nathanaelle Hottois Galetlole, founder of Fashion Week Studio, said this is an opportunity for Africans to show off their own work holding a reputation for luxury alongside international brands.
She said the continent has been through so much already but noted that there is still a chance to fight for a space in fashion.
“I firmly believe that Africa’s time is now and this is long overdue,” she said.
“I believe and I have witnessed that there is a huge market for African garment print colours in Europe and in America.
“However, what I have also witnessed is that this garment and these orders are being fulfilled by Asia and mostly China,” said Galetlole.
Fashion Week Studio previously hosted the late Quiteria Atelier & George, as well as Sonwabile Ndamase from the Vukani Fashion & Madiba Shirts.
She said the Fashion Week Studio Pan African Luxury Group is not just a showcase but a movement that aims to bring African prints to their rightful owners and see them make the most of it.
“We want to give designers from Africa an equal opportunity to participate in global economy and we want to remove from the mind of the people that Africa actually needs charity, because Africa does not need charity.
“I want to do my part in making this happen. That being said, by launching this group in New York, where there is also a large African-American community that would want to support the African designer, I felt that the New York Fashion Week will be the very best place to launch the group.
“Then we can move on to the Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion week, which will be the weeks following New York.”
Galetlole said they are still to have a conversation with fashion buyers to motivate them to purchase African culture garments from the people that come from the culture and understand their prints well.
She added that it is important to buy original instead of supporting people who would be “stealing another culture’s” fashion for purposes of profit.
They are also looking for designers with humanitarian purposes, designers who are willing to give back to the community and support other people.
“China has, I believe, $137-billion [R2.6-trillion] exported in the apparel industry and I believe that parts of this number can be shared with Africa,” said Galetlole.
“I think that the first place to start with is allowing African designers to be able to sell their own culture and stop stealing from them.
“But if we want that to happen, we have to raise awareness among buyers because if buyers continue to purchase this from China, then China will continue to supply it.
“So, this conversation needs to be had and there is a lot that can be discussed over this.”
The Milan Fashion Week studio show will be on September 23 and 24 followed by the Paris Fashion Week studio show on September 27 and 28.
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