Ethiopia's Hub of Africa Fashion Week's big focus

Ethiopia will from 24 – 27 April host The Hub of Africa Addis Fashion Week 2012.

Hub of Africa Addis Fashion Week, 2012 will bring together 10 African countries/Courtesy photo

The show, hosted by Clairvoyant Marketing Agency, In the Bag and Origin Africa, will take place at the newly-built African Union Conference Centre. As part of the event there will be symposiums with industry leaders from across Africa, including the Economic Commission for Africa's Africa Trade Policy Centre.
The Information and Communication Service at the ECA said the fashion industry had a tremendous potential to contribute to the growing demand for high-end products for the global market and for Africa's growing middle class adding that the industry had the potential to propel Africa's creative resources on to the global market place.
This year's theme is, "Unite the Fashion Industry for Sustainable Development", and will feature young, up and coming fashion designers from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, and Tanzania.
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"All designers are required to create a line that lays emphasis on sustainable development and eco-fashion. In addition, a trade show will showcase 100 exhibitors from various sectors of the sustainable fashion industry, including manufacturers, fabric suppliers, buyers and designers," the organisers said.
"The show sends a powerful message to the rest of the world that the African fashion industry is open and ready for business – and that it can do this business differently – sustainably."
Commenting on the show and the Africa Union's support, deputy chairperson, of the African Union Commission, Erastus Mwencha, said "The textiles and clothing industry in Africa can be important in economic and social terms, in the short-run by providing incomes, jobs and foreign currency receipts and in the long- run by providing countries the opportunity for sustained economic development in those countries with appropriate policies and institutions to enhance the dynamic effects of textiles and clothing."
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Three awards will be given out at the show: the chance to participate in Africa Fashion Week New York; the chance to participate in Ethical Fashion Week, in Paris, and the Retailer award, where a buyer from a large department store will ask the winning designer to produce and manufacture a line in 90 days, to be sold in their store.
"In addition to encouraging ideas on eco-fashion, we also want the invited designers to take part in the production of a short documentary, which will highlight the path taken to create their line," added the organisers.

Curled from The Africa Report