Entertainment: U.S. Embassy sponsors African Mosaique Fashion Incubator Awards
Addis Abeba, December 1, 2017 – The U.S. Embassy partnered with the African Mosaique Design Center to sponsor the African Mosaique Fashion Incubator Awards, as a gesture of confidence in the participants’ very bright futures in the fashion industry.
Eight promising Ethiopian fashion designers with outstanding works were selected for the African Mosaique Fashion Incubator Awards. The awards were handed out during the grand opening of the African Mosaique Design Center and Manufacturing Hub on November 30, 2017 in the presence of invited guests.
In his remarks at the award giving ceremony held at the Center in Legetafo, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Michael Raynor said: “This event is an amazing showcase for the tremendous potential not only of Ethiopian fashion, but of Ethiopia more generally, and it’s a great example of how we can work together to unlock that potential.”
In cooperation with the African Mosaique, the U.S. Embassy helped to provide coaching to some designers on how to develop a business plan, so that they can take their talents and turn them into a source of income for themselves and, as a source of employment and economic growth for Ethiopia.
The two winners – Yonael Marga and Netsanet Addis – will receive brand new sewing machines, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy. They will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established Ethiopian fashion entrepreneurs Sammy Mohammed and Sara Abera!
The winners were selected based on the strength of their business models.
Participants in the project also learned to think about brand identity, marketing, production challenges, sales and distribution, cash-flow, and financing.
The November 30 Grand Opening will be followed by the launch of the African Mosaique Fashion Festival on Saturday December 2, 2017 at the African Mosaique Design Center and Manufacturing Hub from 10am to 5pm, which is open to the public and features designer shopping, meetings with the incubator designers and mini fashion show. The event also introduces the graduates of the first African Mosaique Incubator program AMFI.
African Mosaique celebrates its 20th anniversary since its first collective showcasing in Paris, bringing in a new and exciting chapter for the center. From its new base in Ethiopia, African Mosaique Design Center and Manufacturing Hub will be the first of its kind on the African continent.
Background
African Mosaique AM – is primarily a luxury-fashion and clothing production enterprise, export-oriented, registered in Ethiopia, and operational in the Legetafo area on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. AM designs, manufactures and markets high end, value added garments, with fabrics and other raw materials sourced primarily from African textiles mills. The company employs mostly women, many who are young trainees and from low-income segments. The company also provides mentorship and collaborates with up and coming young designers and entrepreneurs in the fashion and apparel industry. It serves as a platform to emerging and established Ethiopian and other African designers, by providing on-job training, transfer of knowledge and marketing opportunities. Owned and managed by Anna Getaneh, an Ethiopian social entrepreneur, who has worked in Europe, the US and South Africa for many years, where she had a successful international modeling career. She is also the Founder and Chairman of the ECF Children’s Fund, an educational and training NGO
African Mosaique Fashion Incubator – September 2016 AM launched African Mosaique – Fashion Incubator program, AMFI. The Fashion Incubator, the first of its kind in Africa. A 12-month program to provide designers with on job training, skills development and understanding the business of fashion. The designers are given the opportunity to develop further their creativity, working and learning with experts, with additional access to a fully integrated manufacturing hub, raw materials and industry know-how. A key component of the program will also be learning the business of fashion, from setting up his or her own labels or working in different fields in the fashion industry. Ultimately giving the opportunity to express their creativity in developing their own Capsule Collection.
Source: US Embassy in Addis Abeba.
