PfC, in partnership with the fashion design and clothing producer African Mosaique, runs a twelve-month programme for 10 young, up-and-coming Ethiopian designers. The objective is to increase their opportunity to succeed in the fashion industry.
This programme – The Ethiopia Fashion Design Incubator – is the first of its kind in Africa. For twelve months, ten young, up-and-coming will build their competence through job training, and improve their competence on fashion design and the fashion industry. The programme is developed in collaboration with international experts, such as Lise Bloom, the founder and initiator of the highly successful Philadelphia Fashion Incubator.
At the incubator, the young designers can further develop their creativity through working with fashion experts, and good access to production environments, raw materials, and industrial know-how. Another central component is getting in-depth knowledge about the industry, how to establish their own brand, and develop their own collection. The experience from leading countries in fashion such as France, Italy, and the UK, show that fashion design talents presented with such opportunities, increase their chances of success and establishing themselves in the global fashion industry.
Our project partner, African Mosaique (AME), is a well-recognised Ethiopian fashion and clothing producer located on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. They produce clothes for women, men, and children, as well as interior textiles and accessories such as jewellery, bags, belts, etc. They focus on using African raw materials in all their products. African Mosaique exports products to the US, Europe and other African countries. Their employees are mostly women recruited from Ethiopia’s low-income segment.
In addition to being a producer of high-end products, AME focuses on being a social enterprise. Their non-profit work has, during the past decade, been dedicated to promoting designers and fashion companies in Ethiopia and other African countries. Among their partners are well-reputed fashion couturiers in New York and Paris.
