In a Video by “Business of Fashion’ (link below), they went through all the steps to create branding, how to work with CMT, pattern makers, sample makers, etc, how to get funding etc. But what they could not help us with is how to deal with RACISM and the challenges unique to the African. 90% of the steps they teach are irrelevant to Africans. For one we just do not have that infrastructure. There is no item of clothing that we make, that will be sold in any major retail outlet in AFRICA, because all (yes all) of them are controlled by Europeans (physically or otherwise) who have Zero value for African clothes, especially those owned by conscious Africans. Despite talking all day about a “rainbow” . Do the fashion schools in Joberg teach you about dealing with racism? They teach Africans how to try to fit into a Eurocentric racist fashion world by crossing their fingers and hoping someone will exploit them as the “Next Black thing”. Do the fashion shows that encourage African designers deal with the race factor, the blatant discrimination against clothes seen as cultural? No matter how perfect our clothes come out– they will not even consider them true fashion. for one African “traditional” clothes are not considered marketable, But then again that is true due to the fact that most of us have no interest in wearing them– so now we have a loop

Even on shows like project runway, the elements of racism Eurocentrism are evident. Where remarks like “no one would want a big bottom” this is odd since large bottoms are the thing in African beauty aesthetic, and with all the butt implants going down to the tune of millions of dollars a year in America alone, I think we can safely say between J-Lo and Kim The butt has returned and crossover the cultural divide. So it is unclear which planet Michael Korrs is living on. the next thing anytime a non-White designer returns to their cultural aesthetic they are accused of being a costume. So only European aesthetic escapes costumy to be sophisticated and elegant, the rest of the world is a circus show.


ART AND BUSINESS

We did a nice shoot at the weekend. We returned to a previous location scouted on the last shoot the weekend before. When we got there it was a little late (our bad, but some other things had to go down). But MAHN was the location the stuff. Oh my my. The photos look amazing. But the photographer is not happy. But the photos look good. He thinks he could kill it if he had more time and could do a bigger budget shoot. Now switching to business mode here is what accounts is thinking. Are women's clothes our bread and butter? We already paid for that remote location shoot can we pay again? These young models are fickle who knows what will happen with them next time. Now, if you compare the photos we got to the photos we might get, apart from the photographer and that community-- who cares! This is not a good quality vs bad quality issue. How about we forget about that shoot, and keep moving and work on some men's clothes (which sell)? The jury is out
signed For the Love of Art

 


FUNDED 

The only model in Africa seems to be the funding model. And how sustainable is that? And what message does it send out? There is nothing anywhere under our Ocacia roof that was funded. If we have a broom to sweep up the mess fabric makes it is because we paid for it. If we have cameras to take photos and drones to take videos it is because we made money from our sweat and paid for these things.

But many people, esp in South Africa, approach fashion by going and getting government money. Then they put on shows, and events and start companies. It means they did not earn anything by being good entrepreneurs or because of a deep understanding of fashion. Their title is because their application got approved by someone who knows even less than them. So funding is their life support system, not merit.

All over the world, people access funding, the difference in Africa is that is ALL we seem capable of doing. Almost nothing comes from raw ability. And without raw ability genius does not emerge only mediocracy.