Just like all other businesses and industries are suffering the impact of the current economic situation, Ghana’s fashion industry is also bearing the brunt of the cedi depreciation and high rate of inflation.
It is for this reason that stakeholders in the fashion and textile space are calling for more collaborative efforts among themselves in order to survive in these difficult times.
Managing Director of Vlisco Ghana, Fatoumata Doro has been speaking to Citi Business News, urging industry players to stick together now than ever before.
“With inflation, we are also being affected. The first half of the year was a good year but the last part is going to be very difficult for all of us. The only thing we can do is to stick together and support each other as much as we can so we can limit our losses and make sure that next year becomes a better year. Now is not the time to let those of us in the fashion industry let each other down.”
When questioned as to what stakeholders in the Ghanaian fashion industry must do to win on the continent, the 2014 Vlisco Brand Ambassador, Eugenia Tachie-Menson highlighted the need for Ghanaians to either innovate or learn from other African countries.
“Our neighboring countries are doing better in terms of fashion. There’s nothing wrong in finding out what they are doing differently and learning from them. Apart from that, we can be innovative. We need to look at how we can tap into the young people in the diaspora to get them to identify with the kind of fashion that is iconic to us.”
“When we had the year of return for example, I don’t recall that there was any major fashion event that anyone was looking forward to. Fashion always tends to take a backseat. So it’s about time we owned it,” she insisted.
