Tailors and (some designers) on the continent often get a bad rep.
Complaints made about this group that is responsible for locally made fashion items available in African markets typically revolve around the the quality of their finished work and the on-time delivery of their work.
Nigerian Tailors have a way Abeg ? pic.twitter.com/WBMZUrf1om
— Gloria Oloruntobi (@Maraji_) January 8, 2018
However, Africa is not the only region that faces these challenges. Fashion production is generally difficult. The top brands in the world have not yet figured out a way to create clothing that fits all body types while still maintaining efficient production. The current system of mass production that is prevalent in the fashion world hardly contributes to solving this problem. Major factories for fashion production often fall behind on production schedules
Given the constraints that producers in African countries face, they generally are not faring badly. Lack of consistent and affordable power supply, inconsistent government policies, and lack of access to a trained workforce are just some of the challenges faced by fashion production houses in Africa. Besides this, they are mainly small scale mom and pop production houses and without the heavy machinery or mechanization that the leading companies globally benefit from.
However, this is not to excuse the bad behavior that in seen often times in this space. Some behavior is within the power of the designer or tailor to control- such as communicating effectively and honestly with clients when issues arise or to prevent problems or not giving the belongings of one client to another.
At IMO, we strive to find the best fashion producers and provide quality products to our customers. We celebrate the work of African fashion producers and designers who power the fashion industry on the continent and whose work is finally getting global recognition.
Shop our site to view and access the work of some of these designers and tailors.
(Featured Image: Runway look from Abuja, Nigeria based brand, Style Temple, at Lagos Fashion and Design Week 2017. PC: Insigna Media)
