Sanlam SA Fashion Week 2007: Winter Collection may have come and gone, but for The Jupiter Drawing Room (Cape Town), the event was the beginning of an exciting new working relationship. The agency teamed with Umoja, an empowerment initiative started by the Jubilee Community Church in Observatory, to create the posters and other advertising elements for the latest date on the South African fashion calendar.
Umoja (meaning “unity” in Zulu) is a sewing project aimed at unemployed and refugee women living in and around Cape Town. The initiative prides itself on the training and development of the sewing skills of the women involved, enabling them to generate a sustainable income and become financially independent.
“The aim of our creative campaign for the Winter Collection ‘07 is to depict various facets of the fashion industry. Creating posters that looked hand-crafted out of delicate fabrics and intricate beadwork was a collaborative affair,” says The Jupiter Drawing Room (Cape Town) Creative Director Joanne Thomas.
“Umoja has been so professional in their handling of this massive undertaking, and I have been thoroughly impressed by the workmanship and quality of the final sewn garment,” she continued.
Umoja is poised to develop their own clothing, accessories and jewellery brand, but will continue to train unemployed members of the greater Mother City community.
The professional services of the Umoja seamstresses have already been used for such brands as Hip Hop and Woolworths.
“The Jupiter Drawing Room (Cape Town) is proud to be affiliated with Umoja and with the work done by the Jubilee Community Church – I can only hope that more people take note of how this organisation has empowered a group of women by recognising their talents and honing their professional skills,” says Thomas.
For more information on Umoja, please contact Lilliane on .
, the event was the beginning of an exciting new working relationship. The agency teamed with Umoja, an empowerment initiative started by the Jubilee Community Church in Observatory, to create the posters and other advertising elements for the latest date on the South African fashion calendar.)
