NAN-ELS-6
Fashion
By Vezi Isike
Lagos, Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN) Prince Ogaga, Co-convener, Ajegunle Fashion and Design Week (AJFDW), has blamed the sluggish growth of the fashion industry on lack of tutoring and networking between experts and upcoming designers.
Ogaga told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos that exchanging ideas was important to developing the industry.
According to him, the gap between experts and amateurs has created an unbalanced structure that has become detrimental to the growth of the sector.
“Growing the industry is dependent on how much the already existing and recognised brands are willing to help startups with guidelines on how to start and ideas on best practices.
“Money is not the basis of success in this industry but creating solutions to very pressing issues that can easily crumble the fashion business,’’ he said.
Ogaga urged the government to invest in the sector to enhance rebranding as well as generating revenue by building factories that will locally produce and sell the much-needed raw materials.
“It is so true that our people and even the westerns love our fashion style and crave for our productions.
“This gives us an edge because there is a ready market for anything we produce.
“Unfortunately, most of the people in the industry do not have the resources or even the equipment to mass produce wears that can yield reasonable profit.
“If we have a hub where we get subsidised materials and machines to boost production, we will generate more money than we do now,’’ the convener said.
NAN reports that the fashion show will hold its second edition from Nov. 24 to Nov. 26 in Ajegunle, Lagos.
The event is intended to facilitate conversations with key players from the African and International Fashion Industry to create sustainable change in the sector.
The maiden edition of Blast Media AJFDW held from Aug. 11 to Aug. 15, 2015 and was intend to lead the way with initiatives that supports, strengthens and develops the fashion industry in Ajegunle, a suburb of Lagos.
The event provided a physical platform that gradually repositioned fashion as a useful tool for commerce and creativity in Ajegunle and Nigeria. (NAN)
VOI/FLP/PDE
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(Edited by Folorunso Poroye/Peter)