Buea-based designer recommends African fabric to curb fashion industry pollution

By Daniel D.

At the recent African Fashion Heritage Week and Awards in Buea, fashion designer, Sevidzem Paul Dzedzenyuy, was recognized not for sewing the best designs, but for ensuring that the waste that emanates from his designs does not pollute the environment.

He was awarded Best Sustainable Fashion Lifestyle Award for his efforts to minimize pollution in the fashion industry.

Sevidzem’s approach to fashion design is driven by a deep concern for the environment.

He is acutely aware of the fashion industry’s significant contribution to pollution and carbon emissions worldwide.

With the industry ranking as the third-highest polluter globally, Sevidzem believes it is crucial for designers to prioritize sustainability in their practices.

According to the European Parliament, the fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions, surpassing that of international flights and maritime shipping combined.

Unfortunately, less than half of used clothes are recycled, with just 1 percent recycled into new clothes.

“Most of the time, we just use the material and dump or litter the left-overs, which have huge consequences for our environment,” Sevidzem told MMI in Buea.

He said these materials are made up of polyester, and they take a lot of time to decay.

“Even when they are decaying, they discharge on land and cause pollution,” he added.

He has been doing fashion designs for years, and every day he has in the back of his mind what can become of the environment if the waste from his designs is not recycled.

He said that when the textiles pollute the environment, the effect comes back to them.

That is why Sevidzem, alongside others, has taken the initiative through a program called Afro-Sustainable Fashion Initiative Network, Afro-SFIN, to educate the designers on how to manage their waste—that is, not discarding but reproducing from it, using mostly eco-friendly material.

Sevidzem said that materials should be able to decay or not be produced with a lot of chemicals.

“For example, cotton. Even though it still takes a lot of water, which is still harmful to the environment,” he said.

The essence, he said, is for them to try and contribute their quota as fashion designers to help curb the ramifications of environmental pollution. 

He recommended that designers use purely African materials, like the ones used in producing the Toghu traditional regalia.

He said the material has been used for many generations, and it is good because the fiber from it has not passed through a lot of industrial and chemical processing. 

“They have very little effect on society. And most of these dresses are expensive; when you get one, you cherish it and keep it for ages.”

He said that when a dress is kept and used for a long time, it reduces the waste being dumped on the environment. 

“Our traditional fabrics are really good, and I will encourage more designers to use these fabrics to produce to save the environment,” he said.

It was through this kind of education and advocacy, plus his ability to use eco-friendly materials to produce, that the organizers of the African Fashion Heritage Week and Award honored him with the best sustainable fashion lifestyle designer award.

He said the recognition serves as validation for his efforts and inspires him to continue his work towards a cleaner, greener fashion industry.

“I wish that all designers should come together and manage their waste in such a way that we are going to have a clean environment for our future generation,” Sevidzem added.

The African Heritage Fashion Week and Awards, where he received the recognition, is a year event organised by Cameroonian designer Nuvi Gana, to spotlight the works of designers and celebrate African heritage.

©Mimi Mefo Info