Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Styled By The Kokonut Stylist - Article 7

SWIFT, The Future of Swazi Art & Fashion - Never Before Have You Seen Such Creativity

I sincerely can never put to words, the beautiful sensation that art and out-of-the-box creativity brings to my soul. A tad dramatic, one would say but I always beam with so much pride, delight and patriotism whenever Swazi people are empowered through art and fashion. While most people were partying up a storm at this year's annual Bushfire Festival, Swaziland Fair Trade (SWIFT) was showcasing Swaziland's best talent. SWIFT is a member based organization providing training, trade and advocacy to support and promote Fair Trade for sustainable socio-economic empowerent of producers and their communities. In this way, SWIFT truly enhances the growth of the handcraft sector in Swaziland. This has over the years, resulted in increased revenue and wages for over 5000 local handcraft producers and companies working under Fair Trade.

This year, SWIFT was a title sponsor for the MTN Bushfire Festival. This saw exclusively SWIFT-Member-products being sold at the Marketplace for over three days. SWIFT Members have been involved in the evolution of the local fashion industry though High Fashion Handcraft showcases in the recent past, most significantly in partnership with  Mustard Seed Africa. This has seen the member companies designs being exhibited on an international stage. 



On the 1st of June, in a warm winter's day, SWIFT organised a fashion show which saw designs by: Gone Rural, Imvelo eSwatini, Baobab Batik, Tintsaba, Golden Hand and Quazi. The designs were paraded by models from Swaziland's leading modelling agency; FACE Modelling Agency. The fashion show was a first-of-its-kind display where mannequin models brought designs to life from within the designer stalls through a flash mob activation that started off the festival grounds.



In its mandate capacity, SWIFT is able to create trade opportinities for even the most economically disadvantaged producers through innovative means of promoting products. The handcraft designs always show a lot of creativity and the challenge levels are heightened each time there is such a show as the are more and more ingenious designs showcased with each show.

Having the models in the designer stands helped attract festival goers to the stands. One of the main goals of showcasing at the Bushfire Festival was to bring people into the Market Place to see all the beautiful products and this is a goal that was achieved through increased foot traffic after the show.



 I am pretty sure you can visualize the splendour, creativity and brilliance of such a fashion show. I remember in just my second article for this column: Why A Swaziland Fashion Week Is Long Overdue¸I wrote about how we have so much creativity, potential and colourful beauty in this country. We have the most untapped creativity, it is almost like we are waiting for someone to tell us just how creative a nation we are. Seeing the work that SWIFT does gives me so much optimism for the arts and fashion industry in our country.

In summation, SWIFT not only provides a 'showcasing platform' for the over 5000 local handcraft producers; it also helps feed so many stomachs, puts so many eager minds through school and clothes many children through empowering these producers. I have mentioned before how art and fashion economically empowers many a populace. We as a country, should not be left out of this economic empowerment. Thank you SWIFT, for igniting what should be a never-ending flame of arts and fashion in our country.



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For feedback, email: kokonutstylist@observer.org.sz
Written By: Koko Shabangu

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