Whilst Ghanaian fashion brands like Mikoko Deluxe, Kustom Looks, Angelina Scissora, Red Cotton Boutique, and more are paving the way with trend-setting looks, the west is in cahoots with the Ghanaian governments and local scavengers and tearing this growth with used clothing from China and USA.
The secondhand (used clothing) industry is a very beneficial trade to the western world and has damaged and polluted Ghana for years due to excess numbers choking beaches in one way or another.
2nd HANDCLOTHES; THE REAL FASHION ENEMY
The ecosystem is not the only thing the secondhand clothing industry is destroying, it is completely damaging the fashion industry and to put it simply, our economy as far as the fashion sector is concerned, and not the Western World is on a mission to make it admirable.
Secondhand clothes arrive from the Western world in the cheapest state, by no doubt serving as a clothing advantage to many poverty-stricken areas, or people that might not want to spend a lot on clothes. If finance is your weakness, then yes it is much better to buy outfits for 10ghs (1dollar) a pop, than go to a local tailor or designer and spend 80ghs (8 dollars) or more.
PERSONAL DESIRES VERSES CREATING POVERTY
Unwanted unhygienic donated, seized, lost, and trashed clothes from the USA, UK, and more are collected bundled, and shipped to Ghanaian markets at very low costs and paid for by Ghanaian scavengers like Prince Quist and James Dhartey, founders of the vintage gala, who are now being championed by Western media for endorsing and pushing secondhand clothes.
A method that continues to cripple Ghanaian fashion creatives at the expense of the Ghanaian economy. In the short term, the secondhand clothing buyer may be able to benefit from buying clothes at a cheaper rate, but that comes at the expense of the millions of jobs being crippled by this.
When looking at things from a personal perspective, it’s hard to understand the extent to which secondhand clothing destroys our society, especially the impoverished society. So take this moment to reflect. Ghana alone receives 15 million of used clothes each week. With millions at Kantamanto, this even excludes other cities in Ghana, and other shops in the same city of Accra. This is millions of clothing creations that could have a prop to many jobs for people in your very own neighborhood. A prime area that shows our government is filled with failures from the presidents to the ministers.
WHAT HAPPENS IF MORE OF US DENOUNCE SECONDHAND CLOTHES
If the number of secondhand clothes bought was rather purchased from Ghanaian brands, it would…
1. Created 100,000s of Jobs Across The Nation.
Not just in cloth making, but advertising, photography, modeling, fabric production, web designing and much more. The creation of jobs and the expansion of those businesses will even generate more investment by the business owners for growth in their businesses and create even more jobs.
2. Create More Affordable Made-In-Ghana Clothes.
Designers in Ghana will be able to create clothes at very affordable prices. Local brands find it hard to compete with the prices of brands from imported goods because they produce very little amounts. Considering they produce at large amounts by purchasing tonnes of the same fabrics, being more efficient with labor for more production, rates can be reduced and local brands can be more affordable if they are producing and selling more. This reality is cut off due to secondhand clothes.
3. Preserving Culture.
Ghanaian culture is slowly being lost and becoming something of a historical fairy tale. The truth is culture lives in our creatives, with our creatives being crippled for cheap secondhand it is harder for them to become our trendsetters. Our culture isn’t only what once was, but what can and could be. We will never know what Ghanaian culture is if our creatives are not fueled with financial support to create.
4. Reduce Pollution.
Secondhand clothing arrives in Ghana in millions. Most of the clothes are actually not reusable and are thrown away on our beaches. 40% of the 15million clothes we receive each week is thrown onto our shores.
5. Better Health.
Asides from the hazardous health risks incurred from the pollution of secondhand clothing, what about the various diseases that could be passed on from former users in the western world? Please do not fall under the assumption that secondhand clothes are sourced from the affluent end of the UK and USA. They are sourced from anyone anywhere, even bums, people evicted out of dirty homes, people who have outgrown their clothes, literally anyone and anywhere, and sent to Africans in some of the dampest conditions to maintain all sorts of bacteria. This is by far not something advisable on all accounts, but Africans continue to sustain it.
6. Improve Other Sectors.
Currently, due to the struggle business behind Ghanaian brands, most of them seek to create clothes with the most affordable materials. The progressive fashion industry can work to support homegrown textiles, locally-made zips, African-produced cotton and so much more. Support for African fashion is literally the seed to supporting 100s more industries.
MAJOR WESTERN BRANDS ALSO BENEFIT FROM THIS VACUUM OF AFRICAN BRANDS
So in short, this is what suffers when we continue to let the secondhand industry dominate our clothing sector. This doesn’t only benefit the traders of the UK and USA secondhand clothing, but it also benefits Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, and other mainstream western fashion brands who can fill in the void where our leading brands suffer.
Almost like destroying competition before it’s born, so one can only understand why it makes sense for the western world to perpetuate the concept of secondhand clothing, and now more so than that, they are being to publish articles that advise people that secondhand clothing is somehow beneficial. Especially to Ghanaians.
The lack of major African/Ghanaian owned brands creates a vaccuum allowing western brands to also buy out our celebrities, promoting their brands further and reciprocating the cycle of western brands dominating Africa.
RWANDA FOUGHT THE USA TO ESCAPE THIS
Before we show you a list of this, kindly note that the USA threatened to put sanctions on Rwanda when president Paul Kagama made the decision to ban secondhand clothing in Rwanda.
He was met with fierce negative press and claims of being a dictator. The ban hit Rwanda at the start but today creatives are benefiting much more with more employment in their clothing sector.
For this to be the case it means that the western governments have a prime economical interest in the continuation of secondhand clothing flooding the continent at the destruction and demise of our own economy.
MAHAMA NOR NANA AKUFO-ADDO HAVE DONE NOTHING ABOUT THIS
Unfortunately, it seems that with all the backdoor deals, the Ghanaian government is far from ready to make such bans. However, numerous articles are now beginning to expose this parasitic secondhand clothing relationship the Ghanaian government has with the Western world.
Numerous articles surfaced this year about the destruction of Ghanaian shores caused by the secondhand clothing sector.
THE WEST TRIES TO DRESS UP SECONDHAND CLOTHES
So it is only right that to counter it the negative press, the west has launched a pr campaign to enlighten people about secondhand clothing to make it more appealing using Ghanaian scavengers like Prince Quist and James Dhartey who organize events to young Africans encouraging them to buy secondhand in the name of recycling. Isn’t this a coincidence that erupting at a time when made-in-Ghana fashion is blowing up, and fewer people are buying secondhand? Almost like they are doing this on behalf of the instigators behind secondhand clothes.
On today 29th of December 2022, a press release by Reuters hit various news outlets glorifying secondhand clothing. See a snapshot of a few headlines below.
TRYING TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE?
The irony when a headline reads “Ghanaians sell discarded Western clothes in a fight against the fast fashion industry”. As if Ghana was ever much of a contributor to fast fashion. The west by no doubt has its battles with China, and in many cases, Africa is a playing field for these battles.
Fast-manufactured fashion from China, secondhand clothes from UK, or high fashion from France, UK and/or USA whichever way, Ghana is at an extreme loss when we refuse to focus our finances on made-in-Ghana goods.
The simplest way to view your economy is to imagine your country as a cup of liquid, and the liquid is your money. One way or another money will come in from foreign countries that wish to buy our goods. Clothes, food, etc. And money will go out when we purchase their goods, phones, cars, etc.
SECONDHAND CLOTHING IS A WEAPON AGAINST GHANA’S ECONOMY
In order to have a good economy where jobs can flourish, less poverty, less crime, and less violence, your objective is to keep your cup from reducing liquid, or even obtain more liquid flowing into your cup. Secondhand fashion with all its damages should never ever be viewed in a good light in Ghana, and every attempt and measure to discard it should be executed.
If secondhand clothing was anything else but an economic weapon for Europe and USA to keep a foot on Africa’s neck, they would rather serve their own impoverished countries with secondhand clothes. Instead with chose to let their citizens work for their clothes whilst choking Ghana with secondhand clothes.
This year Accra Fashion Week hosted Ghana’s biggest fashion show to date with various activities from art galleries, to seminars, exhibitions, fashion shows and more. The website hosts over 200 designers including the recently showcased designers. All of him exhibited trendy, creative designs from sportswear to avante garde to ready-to-wear clothes. All brands can be communicated with and contacted via the website at www.AccraFashionWeek.org. Why not use this as a starting point, to begin with.
THE NIGHTMARE STOPS TODAY WITH YOU (1st Share This Article)
This is not our first time documenting the woes of secondhand clothing, and how it is time that Ghanaians start to take action and build an opposition culture, in the words of Bob Marley “None but ourselves can free our minds”. Vintage is not cool, recycling is not beneficial if it means regurgitating the same cycle of poverty that plagues our children.
Ghana is in a prime position to remold itself and project itself forward. Those that have lived in other countries of Africa will be fully aware of our opportunity to progress. This is not the time to sell ourselves short by selling what poisons our nation.
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UPCOMING TOP EVENTS!
Volta Fashion Week, Awards and Honors will be happening this year from 10th-12th February at the serene Holy Trinity Spa and Hotel in the Volta region Of Ghana. Having an array of spectacular designers from both Ghana and other parts of Africa showcasing. This year’s event is fused with a special massage package for VIP guests. Ticket cost ranges from 50 cedis for students, 100 cedis single, 150 cedis double, 1000 cedis VIP and 1500 cedis for VVIP.
The International Fashion Festival in Togo (FIMO 228) has established itself for nine years now as a benchmark fashion event that promotes the talents of designers from all over the world. Like every fashion event, FIMO 228 reflects the art in fashion and all the cultures of the countries represented by the designers present. Presently on the FIMO 228, creators, models, photographers, journalists, national and international media. But it does not stop there. Each year, FIMO228 is part of a logic of commitment to solving the problems of our society. Thus, the 10th edition of FIMO 228 has the social theme “Fashion is committed to protecting the environment” and the artistic theme “Féérie”. Now the dice for the 10th has been rolled; 
All-African Leather Fair (AALF): the trade show organizing by The Ethiopian Leather Industries Association
(ELIA) from the first edition in 2008 up to 12th successfully. AALF brings together tanners, footwear and
other leather goods manufacturers, in addition of equipment and technology suppliers, chemical and
inputs suppliers, manpower training institutions, trade promotion organizations, etc from all over the
world.
African companies and organizations are expected to constitute the largest attendance. The Fair is a
specialized one designed to promote the African leather industry and to enable it create an interface with
its partners within the continent and around the world. There is side events included occurring parallel
with the show Panel discussion, Fashion show, Fashion Zone, Leather Talent show.
Due to the Global market situation and the pandemic impact the leather sector in Ethiopia and Africa at
large heavily affected. It is expected that the upcoming AALF trade fair will play its role in motivating the
sector in market expansion, facilitating inter Africa business relation .Investment Attraction, Technology
transfer and etc… To motivate the sector The government starts school shoe and bag project under the
initiation the manufacturing sector “Let Ethiopia produce “ “ Ethiopia Tamret“ as the sector dependent
on inputs such as chemical, accessories and component supplier will be expected in wide participation.
Considering these AALF2023 will Have new components fashion show will be including some Africa
countries participations, Fashion Zone(where many designers will participating by showing the Fashion
trends) Talent show (leather products creativity, any innovation creativity in the sector ) in addition to this
Ethiopia Leather journal upgraded to Africa Leather journal (sector based studies ,research and potential facts for Africa will be published inspirational descriptive motto also included .
DIRECTION COLLECTION: OUT NOW!
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