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.
Please follow this column
and engage with us on:
*Facebook:
www.facebook.com/TheKokonutStylist
*Twitter:
www.twitter.com/kokonutstylist
For
feedback, email: kokonutstylist@observer.org.sz
Written By: Koko Shabangu
No comments:
Post a Comment