Realistic fashion makes sense in globalised world

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Globalisation has made the world smaller. Back in the day it would take time for one to know what would be happening in Holland or in Tanzania. Globalisation has brought people, villages, neighbourhoods, cities, countries and regions closer to each other, making the world a global village. I think it’s a good thing that the […]

Globalisation has made the world smaller. Back in the day it would take time for one to know what would be happening in Holland or in Tanzania. Globalisation has brought people, villages, neighbourhoods, cities, countries and regions closer to each other, making the world a global village. I think it’s a good thing that the world is being shrunk into a little village. It sounds really pretty that everyone is equal and has the “same” access to commodities that are available for all to use. Honestly, it has benefitted more of the developed countries than those in the Third World. But should the developed countries be blamed for that? I don’t think so.

Global Citizenship with Gilmore Tee

Designers should take advantage of globalisation and reach the already existing market
Designers should take advantage of globalisation and reach the already existing market

Labels like Nike have managed to penetrate the remotest parts of the world and the brand keeps growing every single day. The beauty about clothing and branding in developed countries is that they make clothes for an average individual, making it easy to reach an already existing market. The exquisiteness of globalisation is that it brought the internet to our doorsteps. We are able to see what is trending, of course dictated, but still we get to know what is happening on the other side of the world. With this in mind, we are able to allow the other parts of the world to have access to our own brands and products, only if we invest in the quality of what we produce.

Are our African designers aware of the platforms that exist for them to take their brands across the globe? Are many of them equipped enough to penetrate the global clothing market? The questions can be thrown back and forth, but the answer will remain with those that run fashion labels. With the availability of online stores, retail stores and the internet, it has been made easy for one to reach all corners of the world and grow their brand. A perfect example is South Africa’s Thula Sindi. His brand is available on online stores and he recently opened a shop for people to walk in and purchase clothes.

Just like a few more designers that have grasped the concept of being realistic, Sindi’s brand has grown in the past few years. When you see his collection on the run way, the first thing that comes to mind is, “I can see that on the streets of Bulawayo or Lagos”. Once a designer has managed to communicate that to you as an audience or potential client, then they are bound to grow.

I find discomfort with a designer who tells you what they want you to wear before they listen to your needs when you approach them for an outfit. It’s like you are going to bang their head with that scissors in their workshop and tell them, “No”. While it is important to have your identity as a designer, it is also important to realise that the client is the king. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying you should tolerate the clients that come with cut out pictures of outfits and ask you to reproduce the same outfit. If you see yourself doing that, you might as well subscribe to tailoring or stop. Listen to your client, tell them what you can do or sketch what they have in mind and add your labels, identity and deliver the product. It is the same client that will take your original brand to the extreme parts of the world.

We have over a billion existing world audience that wakes up in the morning and thinks of what to wear to school, church, work, graduation party, wedding and many other occasions. Why then is it that our own fashion brands seem to have difficulties in reaching out to that already existing audience? I might have an answer. Designers need to realise that their outfits need to be commercial and realistic for the same person in Tsholotsho to want to wear it. Just like Nike, the same impact can be made for Maita Marimo, a Zimbabwean clothing brand and Abrantie The Gentleman, a clothing label from Ghana. The key is to take advantage of globalisation and reach the already existing market.

l Gilmore Tee is a social entrepreneur, global citizen, curator, publicist and host, who works within the Zimbabwean creative industry, with a strong bias towards fashion. He is the founder of Hunnar Management Agency. He can be reached on website: www.gilmoretee.com or Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: Gilmore Tee