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Let’s appreciate local fashion
International fashion designer, Nana Kweku Brenu, has called for the support of the Ghanaian public in the appreciation of local fashion to boost the growth and expansion of the industry.
In an interview with Showbiz on Wednesday, Nana Kweku Brenu, who launched his clothing label, 1981, in Accra, last Sunday said although the Ghanaian fashion industry was still in its infancy, there was the need for local support in order to make it comparable to those in neighbouring countries such as South Africa and Nigeria.
“The industry in Ghana is still young and has a long way to go but we have what it takes to get there. There has to be a substantial amount of investment in the sector focusing on supporting and building the creative manufacturing industry in the country,” he stated.
He said his mission was to create a fashion label, which interprets the Ghanaian fashion sense but would still be among the best anywhere in the world.
“A lot of times, fashion labels originating out of Africa are labeled as ethnic and that is not what we are aiming at. We are trying to change that perception about designs that originate from the continent.”
The Ghanaian-born, Milan based fashion designer asked the Ghanaian public to appreciate the fact that in order to attain quality products, it would have to come at a cost.
“You cannot walk into a Mercedes Benz or Porsche car showroom and ask for a bargain. You know what you are assured of the moment you step into that showroom and that’s just how it is,” he said.
He described the Ghanaian fashion sense as sophisticated, contemporary, and modern. “Ghana has a rapidly growing middle-class with a certain level of taste. Ghanaians have been exposed to the same level of taste that you find in any country in Europe and they demand the same level of quality and garments as well,” he added.
Brenu told Showbiz that unlike other fashion labels that launch in Ghana only to fold up within a short time, he has conducted due diligence on the Ghanaian market and was confident of its longevity.
“We are a Ghanaian brand with contemporary Ghanaian designs and we have gauged the Ghanaian marketplace to know what works and what doesn’t as well as who to target,” he said.
source:
graphiconline
