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Monday, 19 Nov 07
My name is Oona McCarthy, otherwise known as Awa Gueye. Anyone who has ever visited Africa probably has a similar alias, an African name, given to them by any welcoming stranger upon their arrival. It is good to have an African name because it gives a tangible way of differentiating between your former self, and the person you become after spending some time on the "dark continent." Also, using your African name will bring countless smiles to the faces of the people you meet, delighted to see that you have made some small effort to immerse yourself in their culture.
Immersing one's self in culture, weather it be my own, or another's, is one of my favorite things to do. After all, culture is responsible for creating beauty, art, music, food, fashion, and pretty much everything else. As far as I'm concerned, the more the merrier!
Since returning from Senegal, I have been wanting to do something that fuses both American and African cultures and I think I've found a novel and unique way to do just that. I am going to create a clothing line which combines Senegalese fabrics and tailoring techniques with Western fashions to produce clothing that American women can wear with pride. I acquired a great appreciation for the beautiful way in which Senegalese women dress, and though I can't quite see the average American women strutting around New York City in traditional garb, I do think they would enjoy sporting stylish Afro-inspired attire. Every time I go out in one of my Senegalese outfits, I feel like an elegant and exotic flower, and I get lots of compliments from other women!
The idea is to create a website that simulates the steps an African woman takes to get a new outfit made. First, she goes to the market and finds a fabric that appeals to her. Then she takes it to the tailor and specifies the style she fancies. Finally, the tailor takes her measurements and tells her to come back in a week for her new clothes. The "virtual tailor" website will condense this process into just a few clicks of the mouse. From anywhere in the world, online shoppers will be able to choose from a wide selection of fabrics and styles, enter their measurements, and receive their customized order in the mail in a few short weeks!
This product will be rewarding for Western women, who are becoming increasingly aware of their part in the global economy and interested in the creative aspects of customizing their wardrobes. Possibly more importantly, the production of this product will benefit Senegalese women immensely. As you probably know, resources are scarce in sub-Saharan Africa, and unemployment rates are high.
Employing women tailors and supporting fabric merchants under a sustainable and ethical business model has the potential to make a real impact on the Senegalese economy. Most foreign business ventures in Africa are exploitative and corrupt and it
is necessary to break this pattern and offer an alternative to both producers and consumers of African products. In my opinion, women are the best-equipped members of society to set this example.
My goals are right in line with the Shejumps mission to help inspire women to reach our full potential. By helping support projects like mine, I envision this soon-to-be-non-profit acting as an important enabler for women worldwide.
Fusing African, American clothing is virtually genius
Comment on this Post SheJumps president Claire Smallwood spent her first round of adventures in Africa getting into all sorts of trouble with Oona McCarthy. Now Oona's ready to return to the Origin and give back in a very creative and saucy way. Read on!
My name is Oona McCarthy, otherwise known as Awa Gueye. Anyone who has ever visited Africa probably has a similar alias, an African name, given to them by any welcoming stranger upon their arrival. It is good to have an African name because it gives a tangible way of differentiating between your former self, and the person you become after spending some time on the "dark continent." Also, using your African name will bring countless smiles to the faces of the people you meet, delighted to see that you have made some small effort to immerse yourself in their culture.
Immersing one's self in culture, weather it be my own, or another's, is one of my favorite things to do. After all, culture is responsible for creating beauty, art, music, food, fashion, and pretty much everything else. As far as I'm concerned, the more the merrier!
Since returning from Senegal, I have been wanting to do something that fuses both American and African cultures and I think I've found a novel and unique way to do just that. I am going to create a clothing line which combines Senegalese fabrics and tailoring techniques with Western fashions to produce clothing that American women can wear with pride. I acquired a great appreciation for the beautiful way in which Senegalese women dress, and though I can't quite see the average American women strutting around New York City in traditional garb, I do think they would enjoy sporting stylish Afro-inspired attire. Every time I go out in one of my Senegalese outfits, I feel like an elegant and exotic flower, and I get lots of compliments from other women!
The idea is to create a website that simulates the steps an African woman takes to get a new outfit made. First, she goes to the market and finds a fabric that appeals to her. Then she takes it to the tailor and specifies the style she fancies. Finally, the tailor takes her measurements and tells her to come back in a week for her new clothes. The "virtual tailor" website will condense this process into just a few clicks of the mouse. From anywhere in the world, online shoppers will be able to choose from a wide selection of fabrics and styles, enter their measurements, and receive their customized order in the mail in a few short weeks!
This product will be rewarding for Western women, who are becoming increasingly aware of their part in the global economy and interested in the creative aspects of customizing their wardrobes. Possibly more importantly, the production of this product will benefit Senegalese women immensely. As you probably know, resources are scarce in sub-Saharan Africa, and unemployment rates are high.
Employing women tailors and supporting fabric merchants under a sustainable and ethical business model has the potential to make a real impact on the Senegalese economy. Most foreign business ventures in Africa are exploitative and corrupt and it
is necessary to break this pattern and offer an alternative to both producers and consumers of African products. In my opinion, women are the best-equipped members of society to set this example.
My goals are right in line with the Shejumps mission to help inspire women to reach our full potential. By helping support projects like mine, I envision this soon-to-be-non-profit acting as an important enabler for women worldwide.
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