Brand Kenya’s new partnership to boost fashion businesses locally

Brand Kenya and Fashion Agenda Africa have partnered to boost growth in the local fashion industry through job creation.

Under the deal, the two will help create awareness and encourage purchase and wearing of Kenyan made fashion brands both locally and internationally.

The local fashion industry is estimated to have potential of creating over 300,000 jobs, according to a study by Hivos East Africa, Equity Bank Kenya, and the Association of Fashion Designers of Kenya (AFAD).

“The textile and apparels sector, if well invested in across the value chain, has the ability to create numerous jobs, given that it is labour intensive,” Floice Mukabana, the acting chief executive at Brand Kenya.

The labour-intensive textiles and apparels sector has been mapped out as a priority sector under manufacturing pillar of the Big 4 national development blueprint as well as the Kenya Industrial Transformation Program.

Last year, Kenya exported apparels worth Sh35 million becoming the largest under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

The sector anticipates a significant boost following changes in the global apparels sourcing supply chain in the world.

“Fashion Agenda Africa (FAA) therefore presents the best platform for fashion luminaries to be able to effectively pass the baton and make the industry sustainable. A revolution in the fashion industry is here and I am happy to be part of this change,” said fashion icon Akinyi Odong, who is the founder of FAA.

FAA was launched five years ago with the intention to build, support and empower young, passionate fashion professionals to become the best in their chosen areas of specialisation across the value chain.

This is to be achieved through a set of initiatives, skill development workshops, and access to industry relevant information.