Liberian tailors to participate in the AU Fashion Designer Show in Paris

Over 15 Liberian professional tailors are getting ready to join Liberia’s Fashion Ambassador, Madam Kimma Wreh, currently based in the United States of America to participate in the African Union Fashion Designer Show to be held for the first time in Paris on 21 November.

Madam Wreh is an award-winning Liberian fashion designer and founder of Tekay Designs mc, an international fashion label (founded in 1998) with manufacturing in Huston and West Africa. The textile designer trade fair is expected to bring together fashion designers from Africa, America, Europe and Asia.

The Secretary General of the National Tailors, Textiles, Garment and Allied Workers Union (LNTTGAWU), Anthony B. Taweh on Tuesday, 22 September said that Liberian tailors under the banner, LNTTGAWU are preparing to participant in the African Union Fashion Designer Show.

The Africa Fashion Reception is a Pan African initiative that will attract designers, fashion icons, first Ladies, and Ambassadors, Ministers, and media personalities from over 30 African countries in a celebration of cultural diversity to be expressed through artistic fashion discipline under the theme: “Africa is the new inspiration of global fashion.”

He said that the AU will host all countries participating in the Paris Fashion Show to a welcoming Gala event at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2016. Meanwhile, the LNTTGAWU has applauded the Government of Liberia for supporting the union.

It said since President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf pronounced in her Annual Message for public officials to wear traditionally made in Liberia textiles on Fridays to work, there has been massive increase of people attired in Liberian-made costumes.

Anthony explained that since the LNTTGAWU was founded in 1987, this was the first time it has been invited by the Ministry of Information to brief the Liberian people about its activities. The mission of the tailor union is to provide strategic leadership and create an enabling environment for its members to participate in the tailor industry.

The LNTTGAWU aims to empower small and medium enterprise or (SME) in the tailoring industry through business development and access to finance is crucial to sustaining the union and its members, the ultimate goal is to alleviate poverty and improve working conditions of tailors and well-being of their families across the country.