Designs on fashion as a business in South Africa

South Africa:

MOST of us see fashion designers as glamorous artists with skinny models strutting in their creations along the catwalks to catch the eye of the rich and famous. But there is more to being a fashion designer, and their economic contribution to KwaZulu-Natal's coffers is often underestimated.

While Cape Town and Johannesburg are often lauded as the fashion centers of the country, Durban has had a consistently successful fashion design industry since the early 1920s.

Research analyst Renato Palmi, who is consulting to the MTN Durban Fashion Week to establish the economic benefits of the event, said that designers were artists who often did not fully understand the business side of their profession.

"Many local designers don't even know how much it costs them to make up a garment, or how it should be priced to ensure they make a profit."

Last year's MTN Durban Fashion Week attracted 66 designers who were all interviewed by Palmi. "More than 10 000 people attended the event last year and 80% of the designers said they had managed to gain direct orders for their clothing.

Sustainability

We were also able to establish that each designer employed at least four people and outsourced work to the cut, make and trim (CMT) industry, which adds to the sustainability of clothing manufacturing in the province."

The KwaZulu-Natal Bargaining Council lists more than 379 registered fashion design manufacturers and CMTs, providing more than 32 000 jobs. National statistics reveal that nearly 2% of total employment created in South Africa comes from the fashion industry.

"More than 83% of those employed in the fashion design industry are women. However, this figure does not include designers who live in previously disadvantaged areas, who are using old, manual sewing machines to create garments for their friends," said Palmi.

"Many of them are making fabulous creations which would be snapped up by international buyers, but access to these markets is very difficult for them. They also contribute to community economies as they employ one or two people to assist them."

The research also shows that there is a big gap between designers, manufacturers, retailers and consumers that is preventing designers from mass-producing their ranges cost-effectively. Greg Wallis, Chairman of the Durban Fashion Council, said the role of the fashion designer had changed significantly in recent years. "Designers must realize they are business people and not merely creative artists."

Palmi said he believed the future of the fashion design industry in KwaZulu-Natal could look even brighter if individuals were prepared to engage in umbrella marketing. "It is so important that local designers use economies of scale when it comes to marketing.

Co-operation

"They need to create co-operatives where they can share production facilities and use their collective buying power to purchase fabrics. At the moment, there is very little co-operation among designers - probably because they are so competitive."

To prevent exploitation of this year's designs, the organizers of the fashion week are prohibiting the use of digital cameras of cell phones during the fashion shows.

"Last year, we had one incident where a designer discovered her range of clothing had been photographed and sent to a clothing manufacturer in China. Imagine how heartbreaking it was when she saw her shirts, which took hours to design and make, selling for R70 with "made in China labels" on them?"

Durban-based designer Thokozani Mbatha, whose label, Black Pepper, can be found in many local boutiques, said designers, and had to have a clear business plan.

"While the fashion week helps us to meet with the media, consumers and others in the industry, it is so important that each designer continues to roll out a marketing strategy after the event. They can only do that if they have a clear business plan."

Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, Director of Leisureworx, said at the launch of the MTN Durban Fashion week that the development of the industry was a priority.

I am always astounded at the creativity of South African designers and believe there is so much potential for the industry. We are working hard to move the image of the industry beyond the catwalk and into the realm of business."

About the Author

ReDress
Research, Business Development, Publisher:
Clothing, Textile, Fashion and NGO Sector
PO Box 52006, Berea Road 4007
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
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