During the past week, Brian Ahumuza the founder and proprietor of the Abryanz Style and Fashion Awards has been sharing on his social media a 7 part series of insightful think pieces on his knowledge and thoughts on the fashion industry in Uganda. Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the message box below.
Roles of each Fashion Industry Stakeholders
Like I shared yesterday, fashion is a multi-billion industry employing millions of people. Here in Uganda it’s a relatively different story since our industry is young and small. However, what happens elsewhere in the world isn’t different from what’s here.
A designer or creative lead is charged with the role of putting their vision on paper which is brought to life with fabric. A design house or label’s creative direction is hinged on the designer’s vision and inspiration. For a number of brands, the designer works in lieu with a CEO or head of the business. This person’s role is to oversee the business side of the brand.
The designer also works with seamstresses and tailors whose role is to do the cutting, stitching and beading of the fabric as per their vision. When clothes are done, they are put up for sale in stores. For some brands, some marketing campaigns are done to introduce the new line on the market. This can be through advertising or a fashion show.
This is when models are invited to wear the clothes in a manner that interests the target market to buy. A casting director is invited to select models as per the brand’s creative vision. A makeup artist is invited to give the models a look that’s in line with the brand’s creative direction.
The advertising is featured in fashion publications. In the case of a fashion show, bloggers, writers and buyers attend the show to have the first look at the clothes before they hit the market. The customers’ decision to buy is hinged on what the media shares, because ideally only just a handful of people attend the fashion show.
The clothes are then distributed at different retail stores. This is when a fashion collector comes in. They use their own aesthetic, or the tastes and preferences of their customers to pick designs from the collection that suit their market. This is the person who sells the designs to you.
The consumer of the fashion is perhaps the most important stakeholder in this chain, as their purchasing power is what determines the success of everyone else involved. So, a random guy wearing a hoodie on the street of Kampala is as important a stakeholder as the designer whose vision the hoodie was created against.
Key learning today: Fashion doesn’t revolve around a design director or fashion designer only. There lots of people whose effort and hard work helps turn the designer’s vision into a commercial success.
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