Speaking at a recent fashion event, one of the leading South African designers, Sonwabile Ndamase, the creator of the Madiba shirts, called on Kenyan professional designers to participate more in industry shows to be exposed to potential buyers.

But Kenya has no such seasons or fashion weeks, which has left   many designers at a loss. Like any other brand, the name of a fashion house must get out there to be known and  remembered,  but in Kenya the shows are a parade of entertainment walks.

“By not having a good fashion show means that it does not translate to business and the designers get frustrated,” says Mrs Sue Muraya, a designer.

In 2002, some designers including Muraya started the Kenya Fashion Week and it held the promise to put the small fashion industry in the spotlight.

Copied from the New York  and Paris fashion week experiences,  its intention then was to draw people to the fashion scene but it died before taking off the starting blocks.

Designers now say that because of the entertainment  perception, both the designer and the buyers lose out when they fail to stir the desire to buy.  “It is because we do not have show seasons,” says Ann McCreath of Kiko Romeo and Kikoti.

In the international scene, fashion weeks like Cape Town’s and Hong Kong’s are used to showcase the new designs. More sense and selling opportunities could be created  by making use of celebrities in marketing programmes and strategies.

Mrs Muraya says the intention of the failed Fashion Week was to bring buyers and designers into the same venue to order or buy the clothes on display.
“Not having a good fashion show means that it does not translates to business and the designers get frustrated,” says Mrs Muraya.

Although this was meant to be an annual event, its stay on the fashion map lasted a paltry two years before heading to a disappointing close.
 Lucy Rao of Rialto Fashions, was quoted at the time saying that the people did not attend to buy but for entertainment.  

Mrs Muraya is, however,  working to revive the collapsed Fashion Week by finding new sponsors and also rope in the Government to play a part.