IMPRESSIONS from a Cross-section

Topic

What issues come to your mind when we talk about African textiles and fashion industry?

African fashion has a strong identity

Textile was once a thriving industry in East Africa. Fibre2Fashion talks to few participants in the recently concluded textile event Origin Africa about the textile-apparel-fashion industry in Africa.

Kemi Kalikawe
Designer and Entrepreneur, Naledi

When experts talk about the future of the African cotton-to-apparel value chain, not only the smallholder cotton farmers but also the designers are mostly forgotten. However, at the end of the day, we the designers are the ones who create most value.

Antoinette Tesha
Director (Textiles & Apparel), Msingi East Africa Ltd

African fashion is one of the few fashions worldwide to have a strong identity. East Africa has a comparative advantage compared to countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Cambodia, which built successful garment export industries though they have never been cotton-growing countries.

Jamilla Vera Swai
Designer, Tanzania

International designers and brands are very interested in our creations and shows. However, though they get inspiration from us, our creative work is not respected or rewarded as intellectual property.

This Interview was first published in the December 2019 edition of the print magazine.

Published on: 21/12/2019

DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.

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