#spotlight
AFRICAN FABRICS – THE OPPORTUNITY OF AFRICAN MADE TEXTILES
“Doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways.”
This was something that my guest from this weeks youtube interview said and I think it’s extremely fitting for the work she is doing in Africa for its fashion and textile industry.
Mariama Carama of Mariama Fashion Production shares insights on running a business in Africa working with 1000s of African artisans and creating textiles using traditional…
Firstly why is this a discussion? Because the demand for organic and preferred cotton is growing; ensuring support for non-GM sustainable alternatives will give farmers a choice and protect their ability to have market access.
According to a new Textile Exchange Pan-Africa Sourcing Working Group white paper,
“Cotton in Africa: Sustainability at a Crossroads,”
an increasing number of countries in…
Aid by Trade Foundation of CMIA Supports Sewing Education in Tanzania
In the East African country of Tanzania, the non-profit Aid by Trade Foundation together with local partners has opened a new vocational education centre. In the Bariadi district it is the first training centre ever. The training starts with four classes in carpentry, bricklaying, tailoring, food science and processing. 80 young people will receive a specialist training per course. The facility…
Your Sourcing Guide to Fashion Made in Nigeria – African Cotton
This week I uploaded a new youtube video with Nigerian fashion brand This Is Us
Such an amazing home grown story with a couple who focused on locally sourced textiles and textile traditions. This story I shared in their interview see it here but I also wanted to share a little about Nigerian cotton which is what they used.
African cotton is a topic close to my heart…if you know me by now you know…
Rebirth of Heritage – Textiles Made in Nigeria
So Fashion Made in Nigeria has seemed to almost erupt over the last few years and the gorgeous handmade textiles are being recognised more and more and this is what I want to briefly highlight. So lets dive in.
ADIRE
Now can I get personal for a minute? I personally LOVE Nigerian textiles with Adire being one that totally calls me out. Since the turn of the twentieth century, in Abeokuta, a center…
Time for A Fashion Revolution in Ghana’s Secondhand Clothing Industry
Today we end a very important date in the ethical fashion and general fashion calendar.
24th April marks Fashion Revolution Day and with 22nd April being Earth Day the timing could not have been more apt.
On 24th April each year, Fashion Revolution Day brings everyone in the fashion value chain together to raise awareness of the true cost of fashion, show the world that change is possible, and…
Yesterday, on our weekly Winning Wednesday session in our facebook Group African Fashion Entrepreneurs I explained to the group (as part of a series this April) a profitable business model that they could start TODAY that would guarantee them regular monthly income. Sounds good? Intrigued? Read on!
Firstly if you are not yet in my facebook group do make sure to come hang out with us over there…
Starting my business Africa Fashion Guide in 2010 began with a heart to see trade in Africa and to be a change-maker in Africa. And fashion for me was the vehicle.
Fashion that is made in Africa.
Consider this.
If you too want to see change in Africa but source Chinese made wax-printand you sew yourself or locally in your home country then nothing is touching lives in Africa. I explain this in my…
SOURCE NIGERIA – Fashion Made in Nigeria – A five-week guide
NIGERIA – THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
I have mentioned on many occasions that there are three major questions that I get asked all the time and why I started my business. But let me share the two major questions I get asked repeatedly as an African Fashion Business Coach. They are
Which country should I set up my fashion business?
AND Where can I source XYZ in Africa?And this is why I am doing a…
AFRICA IS NOT A DUMPING GROUND! – the Secondhand Clothing Debate
I recently came across two press features that raised an important discussion around ethical fashion in Africa that I feel would be of interest for you.
Firstly the BBC interview titled “Tackle fast fashion or ‘our days are numbered,’ warns design icon Dame Zandra Rhodes”. And in contrast the article about amazing footwear brand Endawhich just secured funding for its made in Kenya sports shoe…
Want My African Supplier contact list? The Reason WHY I do NOT give this out
Firstly… let me talk fashion.
Fashion is a very competitive industry and African fashion being a niche where a lot of people hang out makes it uber competitive.
The competition can come across quite daunting but I want to encourage you to overlook those who see you as competition and instead seek those to collaborate with.
Rihanna with @Puma
Think @hm and their…
Brexit, UK-Africa Summit and African Fashion…What’s the Link?
The British people have spoken and a decision has been made on the government and on Brexit. We will leave Europe today, 31st January 2020.
Why am I telling you this?
What does this have to do with your business?
How does this relate to Africa?
Well, let me give you some context.
Early 2020 I attended meetings around the U.K. Africa Investment Summit. I joined as much as I could and was even…
theFAMILY – Rebuilding African Communities by Building African Businesses
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End of 2019 in our membership club The F.A.Mily we had our weekly session (happens every Wednesday) I tasked everyone to send to me their plan for their business for he next 6 months. Can you believe Saturday marks the beginning of february already! So i had the members planning ahead and reviewed these goals and we check back in over the next 6 months.
After the meeting…
SUPPORT | SYSTEMS | STRUCTURE…Which do you lack or need more of?
Can I be honest with you?
I never PLANNED to be a business coach advisor strategist accountability partner sourcing agent trainer or public speaker.
All of these things just HAPPENED organically because I stepped out. And it’s certainly been a journey of many directions and opportunities.
I fell in LOVE with Africa.
I realised my WHY
I recognised my PURPOSE
And I SAW two groups of amazing people…
AFRICAN COTTON – HOW THIS CROP IS KEY TO YOUR AFRICAN FASHION BUSINESS
Cotton expert Tobias Meier shares in my latest youtube video about an amazing cotton project happening in Burkina Faso and highlights how cotton grown and processed locally positively affects the cotton farmers, the economy, through to your own fashion business. He also shares about an amazing cotton tee shirt project launching from this too of which we are supporting. Do get in touch for more…
That’s Right…The Fashion Gurus are Dead Wrong!
So many gurus say it is impossible to source textiles in Africa, that you cannot make quality fashion there, that its unreliable and people only want to rip you off.
NOW with the influx of people travelling to Africa last year and getting “inspired” and seeing “opportunity”… YES you can open up yourself to opportunists and why I do encourage you to travel to Africa with us on our Fashion Africa…
How the death of my Jamaican Grandfather started my business in Africa
All this talk about new decade and I totally speak that too but when I look back at this time last decade it was a completely different story.
I had just started my MA Ethical Fashion degree and was researching into African cotton.
My Grandfather who was a Maroon recently died and I went to Jamaica for his funeral.
The Maroons were a kickass warrior tribe in Jamaica of enslaved Africans brought…
