LaBré launches platform to increase African fashion designers

LaBré fashion line

LaBré fashion line launched in July 2016 with the mission to increase economic growth in Ghana through job creation. After raising a little under $11,000 to employ more Ghanaian artisans with the company, LaBré has now grown into a full fashion brand that is committed to providing Ghanaian artisans and their products with increased access and exposure to the international market through the launch of LaBré Bazaar on Monday, November 21, 2016. LaBré Bazaar is a new e commerce platform through which top Ghanaian fashion designers and artisans can showcase and sell their apparel to a global audience and customer base under LaBré’s Fashion Made in Africa Initiative. The Fashion Made in Africa Initiative aims to generate global visibility and recognition of African inspired fashion designers, increase mainstream press for our participating designers, achieve the stocking of African apparel in U.S. boutiques and department stores, and harness the fashion industry to create economic opportunities for young and talented African designers. LaBré Bazaar is initially launching with Ghanaian designers and will grow to include designers from Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya in the upcoming months. LaBré Bazaar is a grassroots effort that works with local artisans from the Kente weaving villages of Adanwomase and Bowire to market women in Kejetia.

The global fashion industry is $1.5 trillion with sub-Saharan Africa’s apparel and footwear market valued at $31 billion. Africa is not fully integrated into the global fashion economy which is reflective of a larger system of globalization which often leaves the continent on the periphery of economic prosperity. The common narrative is the extraction of wealth and resources from Africa. Through LaBré Bazaar, we are investing in the Ghanaian economy by providing supply for the rapidly growing global demand for constantly rejuvenated quality African fashion products by sourcing them directly from Ghanaian designers. As with the LaBré fashion line which primarily employs women, a population who is often the most disenfranchised, LaBré Bazaar also primarily features female designers including African Fashion Week designers Sarah Christian of Sarah Christian, Ami Yomekpe of Afromod Trends, and Sandi Owusu of Diva Delicious. We desire to have “Fashion Made in Africa” become a global norm and to build a global diasporic community connecting people through African inspired fashion, art, and culture.

LaBré Bazaar is committed to promoting heritage and traditional fabrics through modern design by producing compelling fashion forward aesthetic. When you wear items from LaBré Bazaar you aren’t just wearing beautiful clothes, you are showcasing your resistance. You’re showing that you are critical of where you invest your money, from who and where you buy, and in what you wear. Go to shoplabre.com, follow us on instagram/twitter @shoplabre, and like us on facebook.com/shopatlabre to learn more.

For more info contact Breanna Moore at 803.316.8268 or email shoplabre@gmail.com