Afronline – The Voice Of Africa

As the world faces the real consequences of environmental degradation, conservation and ecological sustainability have become the focal points of global attention, and Africa fashion designers have joined their international counterparts in championing the green cause, with innovation and style.

Several international conferences are being held across the world to discuss and address serious environmental issues such as climate change, devastating earthquakes, simultaneous droughts and an alarming rise in world temperatures: some of the destructive results of changes in the ecosystem caused by humans’ excessive damage to the environment. African designers are recognizable among today’s pioneers of ecological action.

The seriousness of the need for ecological preservation has prompted the United Nations Trade Group to promote so-called “EcoChic Fashion” as one way of stemming the rapid loss of the world’s biodiversity.

The United Nations has designated 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity, to focus attention on the threat of extinction of the fauna and flora on which the world depends for survival. The UN Conference on Trade and Development is calling for the sustainable use of natural resources. It says ecological fashion firms use organic materials and production methods that do not damage the environment.

In African design circles, plausible green initiatives are spreading like veld-fire, and these include efforts by the likes of Alphadi, the president of All-Africa Fashion Designers. Alphadi, who comes from Niger, and who founded the Festival of the Deserts, has also launched an environmental campaign to deal with these same ecological issues, through design creativity in the high fashion community. The design community is coming together to work towards environmental preservation and ethical consumerism, which has a particular focus on sustainable resources and alternatives such as recycling.

Alphadi, who has stores in New York, Paris and several African countries, who has an impressive list of clients that include the wives of African presidents, and who has designed clothes for US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the late singer Michael Jackson, says that promoting green fashion is both good for the environment and good for the “pocketbook”. His eco-chic couture fashion costs several thousands of dollars and ready-to-wear costs several hundred dollars.

His recent collection at the second edition of the continent’s biggest showcase, the Pan-African Cultural Festival (PANAF 2009), which was held in Algeria, left the audience stunned by his design brilliance.

«That’s me. Alphadi. Eco. Green and we make money. Make money for me and make money for my country. And to help Africa to grow and to give it a human face… Europeans make fashion. Why not Africa? Fashion can help Africa», he recently told the Voice of America.

South Africa’s “Real Simple Green Innovation Awards”, which were inaugurated in the year 2008, are also aimed at creating awareness of “green” products for the benefit of consumers. Past winners of the prestigious awards include Brett Kaplan, who won the Green Fashion Award for his Woolworths Green Label range of clothing made from 100% organic cotton. The range also includes bamboo shirts and socks.

At the 2008 “Re:Fashion Award”, MADE got the Africa Award, for «recognising outstanding practices for bringing about change to people or environment in Africa». MADE is Topshop’s gorgeous new collection of jewellery. It is ethically produced in Africa, using local materials and based on traditional designs. The jewellery is handmade to the client’s specifications by artisans, using local resources such as precious metals and semi-precious stones, recycled glass, wood and bits of bone. The highly fashionable jewellery combines beads made of recycled glass and traditional Zulu beading. The money generated in international sales goes directly to the producers and a percentage is invested back into community projects and training. MADE pays the craftspeople a “living” wage; one that is up to three times higher than the minimum wage. Thus, a fashionable indulgence for a good cause.

by Novell Zwangendaba - Africa e Mediterraneo

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Africa e Mediterraneo is a non-profit association which carries out international and cultural cooperation and intercultural projects and publish the Africa e Mediterraneo review (published by Edizioni Lai-momo). The last Issue 69 (03-04/2010) addresses the ever-changing and innovative topic of fashion, rejecting the cliché that sees Africa as “static” and “traditional”. It contradicts the image of repetitive societies which have produced and used clothing in the same way for centuries, and rejects the image of fashion as a purely Western phenomenon.

For more info visit the Africa e Mediterraneo website.