This year’s fashion extravaganza is dubbed ‘The Buyers Opportunity’. This is based on the ethos that Ghanaians and African designers as a whole need to take the approach of realizing their brand’s worth, and applying it to their business and showcasing it as such on the day of their AFWk show. And in the direction fashion is moving in today, it is more of an opportunity for the local boutiques and international buyers to engage in business with African designers.
“The only difference between western brands and ours is no longer the quality, it’s simply just the branding, and this year we will see that level up, so its really an opportunity for the stores to start looking to Africa” stated Nana Tamakloe “By the end of 2017 you will really be a disgrace as a boutique owner if you are not stocking African fashion brands, especially if you are based in Africa. It’s no more about prints, or headwraps, that’s nice. But the question is what African brand is it. That’s what matters.”
Accra Fashion Week 2016 made a gracious introduction last year in 2016 with the theme from Batik2Boutique. Filling up 3 days of fashion which they are thankful to the media for. The organizers put the event through with the purpose of encouraging local stores in Ghana to become more receptive to the home grown fashion in Ghana.
The organizers state “The work to get Ghanaian products into our stores is not an over night process, in consideration of the boutique owners, they also need to make sales, so even though we managed to get their interest, before they take on the work of our designers the question is how well branded are the designers? How ready are they for mass production? What guarantees our stores people will walk in them to buy their clothes”
“The bottom line is this kind of responsibility is one for the government, but since we don’t have that kind of push here, we all have to pull it together as Ghanaians. But do believe once we surpass this, we will witness enormous amounts of money and jobs that will be created for our nation through the textile and fashion sectors.” Abigail, AFWk Secretary.
