Business Development strategist and fashion enthusiast, Comfort Awunze Sakoma, is urging fashion designers to make their products affordable for the masses.
According to her, making fashion products expensive thereby allowing only the privileged few to buy has been a curse for young fashion designers and has stalled their progress in becoming global brands.
Speaking at a fashion seminar themed: “Turning your passion into a global brand” organised by Glitz Africa at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra last Saturday, the Nigerian entrepreneur who has trained many young professionals in Africa and beyond said making a brand an expensive choice for the masses doesn’t define a “classy status”.
“Being a big brand doesn’t mean you need to make your products expensive. It is important to make your goods accessible to the common people because that is where you will make the money. Unfortunately, that has become the trend and it doesn’t help young businesses to grow,” she said.
Other renowned speakers drawn from all sectors of the fashion industry were also present at the seminar, which was part of the activities for the Glitz Africa Fashion Week which began on Thursday’s October 5.
Giving a presentation on “Our brand, our passion, How Allure became a brand and gained international recognition”, CEO Of Allure GH, Ms Dzigbordi Dosoo, encouraged participants to expand their connection within their comfort zones.
According to her, although fashion is a playground of creativity and throws a diverse set of people together, people often operate as islands.
“In business, your reliable partners may not be from where you come from. My business has thrived till date because I had connections with people who linked me up to right business and partners.
You need to open up and exchange ideas regardless of race or religious beliefs. That is the only way to meet the right partners who will give you the edge in business over competitors,” she said..
There were also presentations from Nigerian fashion designer and Creative director, Mai Atafo of the popular Bespoke Tailor and Rachel Young, an American Production Expert.
Rachel Young is the Show Team Director at LDJ Productions, an industry leading full-service technical production, creative, show direction and event management company. As a seasoned Producer and Casting Director, Rachel has cultivated relationships with design houses and major modeling agencies globally and that was the experience she shared with participants at the forum.
At the end of the seminar, participants were challenged to think critically about the fashion industry and also understand the diversity of the principles of fashion.
Other activities for the Glitz Africa Fashion Week which ended yesterday were runway presentations by Tiffany Amber Couture, Maybelline New York, Kamsi Tcharles, Awovi Gh, Bosi and Charles and Abrantie the Gentleman.
The others are Mai Atafo, Afromod Trends, Duaba Serwaa and Nallem Clothing.
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