Do Ugandan fashion designers make money? The real Truth

Fashion and design is one of the fastest growing industries in Uganda. We have many designers that are travelling all over the world to showcase their work while in Kampala we have countless fashion shows each month. Apparently our young sisters in high school have given up on their childhood dreams for a career in fashion  – and we are letting them do so! This is  because there’s considerable evidence that fashion has potential here in Uganda.

That said, have we looked at the real picture? Is fashion worth this fuss? Do designers actually make money out of their visible hard work? I’ve attended quite a number of fashion shows and I’ve interacted with countless designers. Their answer to this question is always a thin line between ‘not really’ and ‘not much’! So what is essence of investing in a business that gives you ‘not really’ good  returns?

Ras Kasozi one of the most celebrated designers in Kampala had a different opinion. “Ugandans have failed to differentiate between a designer,  a tailor and a fashion collector,” he said. People prefer to run to people like him with photos of what they want to wear and the designers have to sew these pieces. “That is the role of a tailor not a fashion designer.” he complains. If people do not embrace the creative minds around then the business will go no farther than where it is.

I talked to Meddie one of the people behind most of the fashion shows organized monthly and he gave me an insight of what happens. After a show, a socialite announces that they’ve bought one of the outfits showcased at a fee not less than one million shillings. The designer applauds the socialite and the event ends. The mammoth crowd that has ended the show also walks off and never meets with the designer not until they’ve organised another show. “It is strictly show business,” Meddie stresses. The success of these shows is weighed on the number of socialites that order for tables.

This is a clear indication that many designers actually don’t make money out of their work. When the show business lights are down, they ferry their clothes back to their fashion studios.

A fashion insider who preferred anonymity intimated to me that the established names such as Sylvia Owori, Santa Anzo and Stella Atal are running very successful fashion businesses. This is not far from the truth because these are the designers who have been at the forefront of the business over the years. “Their attention to detail, smart marketing strategies and experience sets them apart,” he says. You will never see an unfinished dress on a runway show by Stella Atal.

As opposed to what  ‘show business designers’ do, these take time to build brands. Tattu of Fashionista on Urban TV could not agree more. ” If someone doesn’t invest in a little bit of PR like a facebook page or a twitter handle, how are people going to keep in touch with their business?”

Stores such as DEFINITION and BOLD have given designers the opportunity to have their work brought closer to buyers. The brands there include Solome Katongole, Kwesh, Martha Jabo and Gloria Wavamunno among others who are some of the few extraordinary names we have in fashion right now. While their work is exceptionally good, their presence online is also one to reckon with. From what I’ve gathered they are recording massive sales as well.  Sooner than we know they will be going global.

Just like Ras Kasozi noted, fashion collectors took over. They know how to market their clothes, they know their target market and do a lot of PR. They are the ones earning a living out of fashion. The real fashion designer still has a long way to go.

Are the designers more creative than they are business savvy? Tattu says that marketing is the only way to go. People are buying the China made dresses at ridiculous prices. If our designers do quality work and show it off in the best of ways, people will definitely buy. If Sylvia Owori did make it, why not them?

satisfashionug@gmail.com