adminChip0 Mapondera Fashion
Award ceremonies exist not only to acknowledge success but also to recognise many other qualities: ability, struggle, effort and, above all, excellence.
They also give support and recognition to their industries, giving a valuable endorsement for the public to buy into a service or offering. Last week’s NAMA awards are receiving a surge of press coverage, following an event that sparked debate and discussion. In their 13th ceremony to date, the awards recognised many artistic sectors of merit including TV, print and online journalism, music, theatre, poetry, dance, film, visual art and literature, but strangely, no fashion!
Unfortunately it seems that the fashion industry is at once the most visible but overlooked of cultural sectors.
This is baffling considering that the industry is growing locally, with many new and interesting designers entering the market, with events like fashion week,created to celebrate them.
Given the new and exciting direction local fashion is taking, being left out of this important event on the cultural calendar only pushes the developments made in the industry a few steps back, when further recognition is what is needed at this nascent threshold.
For both the fresh crop of young designers,and the more established names, awards set standards of excellence that encourage artisans to be more dynamic and improve their craft. It is also important that we make our fashion brands into household names, and start to distinguish the differences between what each one represents so that we create our own David Tlale and Stoned Cherrie, names now known across Africa and the world.
The NAMAs must recognise the pivotal role that they play in this promotion of artistes to the public and what a difference their stamps of approval can make to a brand’s perceived integrity.
Essentially, fashion designers should be valued so that there is appreciation given to the work that they do.
How will the purchasing public learn to uphold the significance of original design and intellectual property otherwise?
This is a very important part of consumer culture that the cultural and creative sectors can influence.
It is also something that needs to be continually reinforced among artisans, and why should the awards not play a role in setting these standards as well?
Fashion drives culture and is both a predecessor of what has taken place in society, and a predictor of what will come.
It is all around us — malls, streets, magazine racks and television shows are filled with people making fashion statements that are often influential and philosophical and, therefore, need to be considered, analysed, and challenged.
Fashion becomes what individuals and society believe is and should be attractive, desired, and emulated. This is no trivial matter as it reflects significantly on what we value, what we consider beautiful, and how we wish to appear and be known.
Therefore, fashion statements instigate conversations that must not be overlooked but nurtured and supported.
Online Reporter