Neil Fraser
March 3, 2003
I can't believe that I first wrote about the Fashion District way back in November 2000 (Citichat 42/2000) and again a year later when my focus was on the just launched SEWAFRICA centre which is at the heart of the Fashion District (Citichat 44/2001). But then, who can believe that a sixth of the year is already merely a memory!
So it's a good opportunity to do a stock-take of what's happened over the past two-and-a-quarter years in an area whose grittiness belies its incredible potential.
Physically, nothing much has changed - the pavements still double as extended showrooms for the shops as well as serving as open-air 'factories' for hundreds of informal seamstresses. The whole area (Kerk to Market and von Wielligh to End) is a bustling somewhat chaotic scene vaguely reminiscent of yet totally different to the golden era of South Africa's rag trade.
Then it was the country's manufacturing centre for women's clothing - trolleys hung with dresses energetically pushed from factory to shop by young designer hopefuls, streets clogged with railway delivery trucks and construction equipment as developers tried to keep pace with the demand for manufacturing space. But by the late 80s formal clothing manufacture in the area's many sweatshops had disappeared as the South African industry virtually collapsed.
Now, over the past few years, the district has again acted as a magnet attracting largely informal manufacturers and seamstresses. Many of the manufacturers are from other parts of Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Cote d' Ivoire - all adding to the cosmopolitan flavour of the area, all adding to "Africa-chic" in clothing design and manufacture.
Rees Mann, the visionary 'architect' of the District who is leading the metamorphosis of the area and its community, likens the Fashion District today to London of 1948, "poised to explode with energy and creativity".
Michael J Wolf in his book "The Entertainment Economy" says; "We all want to belong to a community. Now that the family unit, the local community, and the church no longer fill that role as fully as they did in the past, we as a culture have increasingly turned to consumer products and experiences to outsource our communal longings."
It is this aspect of creating community, a focused, specialist community, that has steadily developed over these past few years. Whilst little if anything has been achieved on the physical front, the development of human potential through the Inner City Fashion Garment Project has been exciting as newly developed micro-enterprises emerge and add to the energy of the area whilst concurrently countering the poverty of many of the community. This hasn't happened by chance - it takes a few pioneers and enthusiasts to develop community as well as financial assistance.
Rees Mann has attracted the support of institutions such as the Wits Technikon, the CIDA City Campus and, more recently, Wits University as well as specialists such as, the BCG (Bees Consulting Group). BCGs has provided upgraded sewing and technical skills as well as developing the all-important linkages to the broader Fashion Industry and networks amongst operators to provide reliable supply sources.
With funding from the Department of Labour (Gauteng South) and the Ford Foundation, clothing technology and design from Wits Technikon, and skills training via SEWAFRICA, garment operators have had the opportunity to hone their sewing and technical skills and the result, quality production of innovative designs. Rees Mann tells me that the 20 students trained at SEWAFRICA last year has almost trebled to 54 this year and this is in turn creating a demand for space to house designers and their products.
Great opportunities for entrepreneurs who want a piece of the action - the city is more and more able to offer those with vision and a passion for unique prospects.
All of this has culminated in improved quality and production capacity which in turn has led to the garment operators being linked to potential markets in and around Johannesburg. By linking them to both emerging and established designers quality garments are being produced.
Not only has the income of each network of garment workers increased but also their business skills. This has come about through another successful partnership, this time between students from the CIDA city campus and the garment operators. CIDA's 3rd and 4th year students are involved in mentoring the garment operators in appropriate business skills and the pay-off for the students is that they are getting hands on experience in the reality of running a small business.
The young designers are benefiting from the knock-on effect of what is happening. Once they have completed their Fashion Design course, they need to get into the market to establish themselves. This has always been a difficult and challenging process, demanding determination and commitment.
Fortunately for three young emerging designers, a well known name in fashion design, Clive Rundle, agreed to facilitate an intern program which would provide them with some of the skills required in preparing for both local and international fashion shows - an important aspect of marketing and developing themselves as designers in the Industry. This has been a great opportunity for them which they have seized with two hands establishing their businesses and refining their skills in quality design.
The School of Architecture at Wits University has now recognised the potential of the Fashion District and is using it as a study project for honours level architectural students over the first half of this year. A great opportunity to get a fresh eclecticsm from talented young designers of the physical and spatial environment. Hopefully their ideas will act as a stimulant.
The Fashion District is a phenomenon not waiting to happen but in need of greater support. A phenomenon requires a set of conditions and success factors that foster its creation. These are developing but we do need to still create the right environment and context that will enhance the existing energy that will lead in turn to the success the Fashion District deserves.
I still feel about this area as I did a year ago when I wrote: "It's all about people, about the clashing and merging of cultures and history resulting in economic regeneration, in products that are relevant for today made by people who were denied the opportunity to do so yesterday. It's all about visionaries who have the ability to turn dreams into on-the-ground realities."
