The Africa Fashion Reception is not just another fashion event. It is a movement that is calling on Africans from across the continent and the diaspora to patronize and wear clothes, fashion accessories, beauty and lifestyle products locally produced in Africa. If we are able to successfully accomplish this, Africa will systematically be liberated from poverty.
Africa is fast becoming the new inspiration for global fashion. Already, international designers from around the world have been borrowing inspiration from Africa in the last 8 years without acknowledging or giving back to the continent. The African garment industry needs to be repositioned in order for it to financially benefit from the international fashion industry. This is part of what the Africa Fashion Reception is set out to achieve.
The Clothing Economy
After food, the next most important thing to man is clothing. And this is before shelter. Clothing is even sometimes argued to come before food. Can you think of anyone starving that goes around naked? The answer is ‘No’. We all do not only wear clothes. We also have wardrobes full of them. And most of us change our wardrobes frequently. This confirms the economic viability of the garment and fashion industry.
FASHION FOR DEVELOPMENT & WEALTH CREATION
We may not be able to entirely stop the wars, famine, and poverty associated with our continent –African. But we can use the platform of one of our creative industries (Fashion) to bring about meaningful development. AFR wishes to create wealth through fashion.
AID TO AFRICA
Africa does not really need aid from the international community. Part of what it needs is assistance to develop and make commercially viable its creative industries one of which is the fashion industry. The fashion industry has its multiplying value chains which can create jobs that can lead to prosperity. For instance, the clothing industry creates jobs for fashion designers, Creative Directors, tailors, weavers, textile designers, pressers, cutters, hairstylists, makeup artists, clothes stylists, models, Fashion photographers/writers etc
INTERNATIONAL MARKET FOR AFRICAN FASHION/LIFESTYLE PRODUCTS
Instead of giving aid to Africa, the international community can assist Africa’s clothing and lifestyle products to access the international market. This will not only guarantee the needed foreign exchange for African countries, it will also guarantee lots of jobs for practitioners in the garment industry. This is most especially because every aspect of production will be done in Africa.