Accra, Aug. 3, GNA – Ms Beatrice Bee Arthur, Creative Art Practitioner, has urged students of Accra Technical University (ATU) to take fashion designs seriously because they serve as a catalyst for individual and society’s transformation.
The fashion industry, she stated, played an important barometer by which the strength, standards, and weaknesses of society could be measured.
Ms Arthur gave the advice at a fashion show for final year students of the Fashion Design and Textile Department of ATU.
It is on the theme: “Building a Sustainable Fashion Model: Advancing Timeless Collections.”
She said building a sustainable fashion industry was necessary in reducing environmental impacts, protecting the habitat, and reducing waste.
That, Ms Aurthur said, was critical because Ghana was among the 150 countries that signed the treaty on the United Nations Framework on Climate Change to combat dangerous human threats.
Ghana has become a dumping dump for electronic waste, which calls for urgent attention to address the menace.
Research shows that 15 million metric tonnes of secondhand clothing enter the country on a weekly basis from the United Kingdom, United States of America, and China.
She admonished practitioners in fashion designs to build a sustainable fashion model and strive to attain excellence in the creative sector.
“We need to adopt sustainable practices by reusing our garments to make them eco-friendly,” she said.
The country, she said, needed a holistic approach that leveraged the use of local garments to boost the fashion design industry.
“It behoves us all to change our attitudes about what we eat, wear, and make good use of our waste to ensure an eco-friendly environment,” she said.
Professor Amevi Acakpovi, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of ATU, said the fashion design department had made strides over the years serving the needs of individuals and organisations.
He said the industy had not only been a beacon of excellence but unearthed the talents of the students to drive innovation in the field of fashion designs.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor stated that it was not a surprise that the University’s fashion department had become the programme of choice for students over the past five years.
Ms Catherine Adu, Head of Department, Fashion Design and Textile, ATU, said the show would inspire innovation and urged the students to leave a positive image through their spectacular designs.
The students displayed their best and creative designs to the delight of the audience.
GNA