Designers need to link up with business to market their wares

30 Oct '06

5 min read

Palmi suggested that retailers set up "buy local" stands where local designers could be given publicity.

"There should also be more engagement between textile and clothing manufacturers and designers," he said. "Municipalities should start promoting local designers throughout the year and the various fashion shows should focus a lot more on the business side."

Igsaan Salie, the president of the Textile Federation of SA (Texfed), said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) customised sector programme document would be able to play a role in aligning the value chain.

"Designers have to be able to look each other in the eye and find common ground. A conference may help and Texfed would support any strategy that would bring strength to the sector," Salie said.

Gavin Rajah, the founder of the Cape Town fashion week, said the problem in the industry was that too many egos and politics got in the way of business.

"People have their personal motives at heart and no one is really interested in gaining cohesiveness," he said. "Everyone is very quick to complain about China, but if we had a proper strategy that focused on turnaround times, maybe we would not have felt the brunt of their imports so much."

Stuart Gottschalk, the vice-chairman of Clotex, a non-governmental organisation that helps small clothing and textile businesses in the Western Cape, said the provincial government made a breakthrough by starting a fashion council that was trying to unify designers.