South Africa:WOZA - Wear Only ZA supports South African fashion

 

The 2011 Cape Town Fashion Week marked the launch of WOZA - Wear Only ZA, a campaign to raise awareness and increase the profile and desire for South African designed and produced fashion.

Initiated and managed by the Cape Town Fashion Council (CTFC) and funded by the Department of Economic Development & Tourism in the Provincial Government of the Western Cape, WOZA aims to stimulate a greater demand for buying local clothing.

“Local design and manufacture needs a showcase,” said Bryan Ramkilawan, CEO of the CTFC, “so that everyone can see how much talent and excitement there is out there in the making of home-grown design that every proud South African should want to wear.”

Consumers can show their support for South African fashion by joining the movement at wearonlyza.com, an online community that will showcase the best of locally produced and designed brands. Designers will be able to join and have their brands endorsed by WOZA, increasing their exposure.

“Partner brands will also be adding their weight, expertise and involvement to the WOZA marketing campaign and showing their commitment to supporting local industry. The initial soft launch phase of the campaign involves creating an online community for South African fashion. From there WOZA will expand with a significant sponsor into SPAZA pop- shops and major retail partnerships,” said Ramkilawan.

MEC Alan Winde said, “80,000 jobs have been lost in SA‘s Clothing and Textile industry since the elimination of the quota system in 2004 and local industry is struggling to compete with sweat shop economies. To sustain and further create jobs for the sector, industry and government have identified local fashion design and branding as a key catalyst for the entire C&T value chain.”

The Cape Town Fashion Council is the first established fashion industry association of its kind in South Africa (SA). The CTFC is a major driving force within the industry to promote local fashion brands nationally and internationally. The board of the council includes representatives from throughout the value chain including Woolworths, Foschini, Elle Magazine, Monviso Knitwear, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, SACTWU, government and several fashion designers.