Windhoek
The past year was an exciting one in so many ways for the Namibian fashion industry that enjoyed industry growth.
Designer Ingo Shanyenge said in an interview with Time Out that the fashion industry ‘definitely’ went up a notch with the first ever Fashion Week held in the capital at the end of last year. A few local designers raised the bar with their collections at the show, he said.
Creativity in design is more evident than ever based on the looks presented at various events. “The lifestyle of having your clothes made by local designers is growing, as people are slowly moving away from the retail culture and appreciating local designers more (who) offer unique individual looks,” Shanyenege said.
He urged all designers to continue to put in extra work and improve on their work from last year. “Apart from designers we also urge the wide range of influential individuals such as stylists, fashionistas, editors, bloggers, and makeup artists to help push Namibian fashion to the next level,” urged Shanyenege.
Maila Kalipi, who is also a designer, feels the Namibian fashion industry established itself last year, with the success of fashion institutions producing innovative fashion designers and the success of Namibia’s first annual Fashion Week.
She said that although such establishment was made, she expected more to unfold with the development of fashion designers turning their businesses into household names and brands. “I wish to see more authenticity from designers which can help put us on the global map,” Kalipi commented.