South Sudanese Designers Showcase Homespun Fashion | American Voice

JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN – After 5 years of civil war and continued clashes between communities, fashion is not the first thing that usually comes to the mind of many people about South Sudan.

But a small group of young fashion designers say they want to help change the country’s image by showcasing locally designed clothes that are increasingly attracting the attention of the fashion world.

If we can find something that can help us improve and empower ourselves, then we can do it, says Ghum BarnabasKulang, founder of KulangEnterprises.

Kulang started creating his own designs in 2019 with a focus on fashionable suits and colorful dresses made of African prints. He believes that creating a national brand is important for the morale of South Sudanese society.

So the inspiration was, I want us to have an identity too,” Kulang told South Sudan in Focus. We must have something commonly known within us, (because) it’s not basically a war competition. We also have the virtues of architecture in terms of culture, as well as fashion design.

About a dozen designers earlier this month held the sixth annual South Sudan Fashion Week in the capital, Juba.

The show’s founder, Dawson Dau Amou, a successful East African model, wants to change the world’s focus on South Sudan from a war-torn country to one that can build self-sufficient companies.

“What we’re doing here is about growing the fashion industry, because it’s a business industry, so we don’t rely on brands made from outside,” Amou told South Sudan in Focus.

Six years ago, five designers participated in South Sudan Fashion Week. This year, 20 designers sent their fashions onto the runway with South Sudanese sports models from local designers.

Most designers say their biggest challenge is finding money to fund their small business.

David Shegold, founder of DGoldsFashions, started designing clothes five years ago after graduating from fashion school in Uganda.

Shegold told South Sudan in Focus that she decided to specialize in designing wedding dresses and party wear as many South Sudanese attend these events but usually wear clothes imported from abroad.

“I’ve seen people do a lot of weddings and a lot of parties, so I see most of my people going overseas and getting wedding dresses from there,” she said. Then I was like, Why can’t I make a wedding dress because I’m a pro at this?

South Sudanese designer Wilma Amito, who designed a swimwear collection for this year’s fashion show, said she was inspired by learning to knit online during the COVID-19 lockdown last year.

Amito started knitting to keep himself busy, but his hobby quickly led him to design swimwear, tops, and shorts.

Amito believes fashion can be a unifying factor in South Sudan.

People brought different ideas, so it was a sign of unity, he said. When I come from a different tribe and someone else is from a different tribe, we combine and develop love and understanding among ourselves.

No compiled business figures for the new fashion industry in South Sudan

But the designs are eye-catching in the diaspora. South Sudanese fashion designers display their creations for a fashion show for the Luol Deng Foundation’s annual conference in Minneapolis in 2019.