Building your African fashion business with Jacqueline Shaw

 
 

With 16 years experience in the global fashion industry first working for brands and retailers such as Puma, C&A, Russell Athletic, Animal, Fila, and Wilson, professional Fashion Designer Jacqueline Shaw birthed the Africa Fashion Guide, the only sourcing consultancy and information based platform for African fashion. It’s a tool to educate, inform and retune the perceptions of Africa's fashion and textile industry - a powerful vehicle she sees for trade and development.

Now an Author of her book Fashion Africa (2011 and 2014), and the business book Fashion Cannot Be Made in Africa (2020), an International Public Speaker, a University Fashion lecturer, an African Fashion Business Coach, Sourcing Consultant and industry researcher, Jacqueline is known for being an expert and most proudly an ambassador in the Ethical African fashion landscape.

Building your African Fashion business

Covered in this episode:

  • How Jacqueline started her empire as the expert to go to for anything to do with fashion and textiles from Africa

  • How Jacqueline got to the London Fashion Week with fairtrade, organic cotton

  • From a blog to author; conferences to sourcing trips; and now running the African Fashion Business academy supporting small business owners access manufacturers in Africa

  • Some of the misconceptions people have about sourcing and manufacturing textiles in Africa, which Jacqueline likes to challenge

  • Jacqueline’s top tips if you’re thinking about sourcing from Africa

  • Why Jacqueline believes Africa is Fashion’s future and the opportunities for creating greater social and environmental impact through this incredible industry

  • Changing trends in the textile and fashion industry in Africa to be aware of