Young and edgy designers are changing the look and the narrative. Gone are the days where designs cantered around leopard print or imibhaco, known as traditional clothing. Customary concepts are now transformed into trendy outfits, fusing our unique culture with western styles.“Africa as a whole has indigenous pieces of fashion that people are creating.
Africa remains driven by the success of small to medium enterprises that employ 77% of the population. From clothing and food to household items, Eastern Cape Tourism and Parks Agency chairperson, Nomkita Mona, says the fashion industry is becoming a distinct area of growth. “The fashion industry and the creative industry in general, they learned themselves so very well into small business promotion; into job creation because the young people they don’t have to wait to be employed elsewhere. If they are being creative, they can actually create their own jobs and the other jobs that come with it. So it does help in terms of the industry and in terms of the economy as well because the business of the future is going to be small businesses.
The Eastern Cape Fashion Council says its ultimate goal is to help budding designers make it onto the global fashion stage.