Fashion as Service in Rwanda

In Rwanda, as in many African countries, many people wear bold colours and patterns.  Sewing is an important part of the local economy.  Many women buy pieces of cloth and ask the local seamstress to make clothing for them.  Some search for styles on the Internet and then ask the seamstress to make clothes for them.  An attractive dress can be made this way for 20 US dollars, including material and sewing.  It seems that in many villages, this is how many of the women obtain their dresses.  Many local men and women make their living this way.  Many are learning sewing from the vocational schools. 

A feet-powered, mechanical sewing machine, such as the one my mother used half a century ago, made in China, costs around 100 USD.  It is not cheap but a good investment.  

We brought with us this time a professor who have been teaching service-learning through fashion design, in Hong Kong and Vietnam.  We have been going around speaking with various people, and are now putting together the potential partners/participants in a first project for this summer: Seamstresses and potential seamstresses in the villages.  Women who engage the seamstresses to make their dresses.  The community workers who work with the villages.  Sewing students in the vocational school.  Women who cannot afford to buy their dresses.  

Our students will work with seamstresses and potential seamstresses to design and make clothing for those in the villages, many of whom are old, handicapped, or just poor, perhaps victims of war, or disasters such as flooding.  They will be assisted by sewing students from the vocational schools.  What they contribute are local wisdom on clothing styles, use of colours, and the cultural meanings of clothing.  What they learn from us are modern techniques, design concepts, and the use of cloths and patterns.  We have already identified the villages, the parties to work together, a potential venue at a local school to place the sewing machines, …  Many details are yet to be worked out.  But everyone is excited about the prospects of working together.  It will be a challenging and fulfilling summer.