Fashion is a social phenomenon of significant importance. Fashion mostly depicts a personality through visual representation. It is a form of self-expression that can be considered as an art, a function, and a necessity. Fashion gives one a feeling of power and control. Shiona Turini, a freelance stylist, once said, “Fashion is about storytelling through clothing; it’s about the stories behind them and the ones you create around them. It’s a cultural influence, backstory, or intellectual touch-point that you can trace back to what you’re wearing. We use it to escape the mundane, to embrace and celebrate tradition. It’s about a sense of history and pride, and it embodies a greater sense of purpose than just a garment tossed on to cover bodies.”
Ghana has always been fashion-forward. Even though there has been a considerable western influence in the field of fashion, the country has always tried to stay true to its authentic style. The history of fashion in Ghana is only spoken about because of the lack of written documentation. The commencement of fashion dates to pre-colonial times with the introduction of prints. The prints from Ghana have played a major role in influencing fashion in today’s world. The use of bold colors and a variety of fabrics is what makes their designs and styles stand out.
The fashion industry in Ghana has experienced numerous challenges but has remained true to its traditional designs and delivering these in runways and fashion events. The industry has influenced the fashion world with some of the most sought-after fabrics. With African prints fabric getting exposure around the world, we have seen the rise in more Ghanaian designers doing well in the industry. The traditional fiber previously used for only making Slit and Kaba is now used to make dresses for other uses.
Business Environment in Ghana
Ghana currently is thriving as a great place for production. Due to its enormous market size and its simplicity in doing trade with foreign countries, Ghana is now one of the top African countries to visit various business arenas today. For the fashion industry, there are many skilled professionals, small shops, small production units, and high opportunities. This is great for large retailers as well as MSME businesses to produce in and source from.
The fashion industry is largely defined by the functions of the individuals who contribute to it. These include:
Small Businesses have opened up the world to a different dimension where fashion has added thrifting. A thrift store is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as a shop that sells secondhand articles and especially clothes and is often run for charitable purposes. The concept of thrifting came to light in Ghana when people decided to de-clutter their wardrobe, especially during the pandemic, and suddenly had a tsunami of items that would probably never be used again.
Small organizations are often led by visionary product specialists or designers, particularly within the apparel industry. Such visionaries generated a platform for the thrift market in spite of the risk and have made it a success story. The tiny scale allows companies to be flexible, this is often crucial to adapt to very diverse market conditions and economic turbulence.
Social Media sites like Instagram presents an opportunity to market wares by these small businesses- for free! As Instagram and its counterparts are most popular among the youth, it helps gain the right pull for the business. Millennials and Gen-Z have embraced thrift shopping and are driving the numbers by putting away the last remnants of social embarrassment about pre-owned clothes. This generation is turning thrift shops and consignment stores into trendy shopping destinations by frequenting them.
Businesses should learn to operate lean and be ready for swift changes in the market. Inevitably, there will continually be a rise of new trends in the fashion industry inevitable- and MSMEs have a pivotal role to play. Goes without saying that small could be the new big so MSMEs should hop on the wagon.
References
Bernard Edem Dzramedo, “CLOTHING AND FASHION IN GHANAIAN CULTURE: A CASE STUDY AMONG THE AKANS”, 2009, College of Art and Social Sciences, Ph.D. Dissertation
Aakanksha Ambastha, “The Impact Of Small Businesses On The Fa
