The Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Professor Ellis Owusu-Dabo, has launched the Sixth KNUST Graduate Exhibition and Fashion Show themed, “TRANSFORMATION.” The event aims at showcasing up-and-coming talents and innovative works of the graduating students of the Department of Industrial Art, KNUST to the University Community and the general public as a means of awakening the nation to the importance of establishing vibrant and competitive textiles and fashion industry for sustainable development. The launch is a prelude to the main event scheduled for 28th July, 2023 at the Great Hall, KNUST.
Launching the 6th edition, Professor Owusu-Dabo, stated that the students of fashion cannot be unemployed and would not go job hunting after passing through KNUST and having received wholistic training from one of the best universities in the world. According to the Pro Vice-Chancellor, the Department of Industrial Art continue to produce amazing talents and they amaze patrons every year, he was, therefore, confident that with what he has been witnessing over the years, Africa’s transformation begins with creative ideas and concepts. He added that the world awaits their innovation and creativity which starts with the smallest ideas. He also encouraged the students to showcase their creativity to nurture their talents, create jobs and empower themselves financially even before they graduate.
In his address, the Head of the Department of Industrial Art, Professor Ebenezer Kofi Howard, noted that the Department comprises the Textiles, Metal Product Design, and Ceramics sections, which runs undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Periodically, the sections organise exhibitions and conferences and participate in trade fairs to disseminate research findings and products of students and staff to the general public. To sustain this drive, the Graduate Textiles Exhibition and Fashion Week have been incorporated into the training schedule of the students to expose them to essential aspects of the textile and fashion design profession to enable them to acquire hands-on competencies necessary for their survival in the industry after school.
Professor Howard revealed that textiles and apparel production are important catalysts for national development and creates many jobs to reduce unemployment. Its expansion has played a critical role in the economic development of many low-income countries, which accounts for three-quarters of the world’s clothing export, according to studies. “As a developing nation, it becomes economically prudent and timely to establish our own fashion industry and strive to be at the forefront of fashion prediction and trends in the sub-region rather than follow the fashion culture of the Western world,” he said. The responsibility, therefore, rests on the institutions of higher learning that run textiles and fashion programmes to be at the forefront in setting the pace and championing the course of such national agenda.
The event showcased clothes, textiles, jewellery, fashion accessories, furnishings, furniture, and leather works produced by students and faculty.