By Saphia Ngalapi
Published August 28, 2010
Some 12 ready-to-wear designers from Tanzania are participating in a four-day training workshop organised by Swahili Fashion Week in conjunction with The Tanzania Cotton Board. The workshop is aimed at sharpening the skills for Tanzanian ready-to-wear designers, which will help them to work with retailers that may buy their work.
Held at New Africa Hotel, the workshop–conducted by by Claire Hamer-Stubbs of the Ei8ht consultancy of the UK–is tackling topics such as marketing designs to retailers; costing; branding; mass production; financing of scale production; quality assurance; labelling (care & sizing); customs documentation; ethical Production (environmental & working conditions); fashion trends: ready-to-wear fashion trends in the UK (and to some extent EU) markets; addressing the challenges and meeting expectations; and working with buyers in the UK, among others.
“By the end of this workshop I believe I shall be ready to take my designs to the next level and find a market for my products beyond Tanzanian borders,” Says Salim Ally of Mtoko Wear, a youth style brand.
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Among the designers attending the workshop are Kemi Kalikawe, Margherita Marvassi, Jamila Vera Swai, Zamda George, Francisca Shirima, Farha Sultan, Ailinda Sawe, Manju Msita, Salim Ally, Kim Dean, Robi Morro and Angelo Elly Mlaki.
“After the training we believe Tanzanian designers will produce garments of international standards that will capture the attention of the UK and European buyers. The training will also give local designers information about modern factory production by visiting such facilities in Dar-es-Salaam,” Says Mustafa Hassanali, Organiser of Swahili Fashion week.
The workshop, that opened on August 27, ends on August 30, 2010.
