At lot has happened since the Danish story teller, Karen Blixen, travelled to her farm in Kenya while passing through Jean Patou’s couture atelier in Paris to make her new wardrobe. Blixen needen’t have looked any further than the Masaï tribes at her plantation who’m designers today tap for their immense creativity and craftmanship. One of them is Vivienne Westwood who goes to Kenya to make products that were touched by the hand. Quality instead of quantity is the designer’s mantra just as dealing with the global warming that so affects the local lives. All of which she brought up at the IHT’s latest luxury conference in Rome where Africa was the major theme. And Westwood must have been happy with at least one thing; instead of following the roads to the Eternal City it was possible to watch the entire conference as an online delegate. Apart from sustainability and craftsmanship; the rebranding of Africa was the major topic. From the local founders of Style House in Laos and the Fast Track shows in South Africa; to a former salesman of frozen foods in England who had found a new meaning in life after he went to Gambia and discovered the (almost) untapped virtues of the wild growing Baobab fruits. That we all share the same dreams was pointed out by a speaker from the cosmetics industry; Joanne Crewes CEO of P&G Global Prestige, who referred to the early discoveries of the German psychoanalyst, Karl Jung. Whether it is about beauty, craft or the dignity of holding a meaningful job we all want the same basic things. And as it turned out, fashion can play a role in changing the world when music cannot. This was proven by the Irish rock star, Bono who in 2005 founded the African based luxury brand, Edun, with his wife Ali Hewson. Three days after the couple’s first trip to Uganda, where they now produce cotton for their line, a civil war broke out while the military made head quarters of their hotel. Only days after Bono had performed to the locals music was prohibited by law.
Masaï hands make the products of Lauren Bush Lauren‘s sustainable brand, Feed, just as it is the case with Maiyet which is based on indigeneous craftsmanship from around the world.
