By Jemi Ekunkunbor

As designers from around the African continent prepare to storm London for the Africa Fashion Week, official sponsor of the event Da Viva has revealed why it is supporting such initiatives in Nigeria, Ghana and beyond.

According to Steve Dutton, the Group Marketing Manager of the print manufacturing giant, with the majority of the African population being under 25 years, and the influence of the social media connecting Africa to the rest of the world, the continent he said, is set to experience cultural and technological influences that will affect the fashion industry and provide employment for its teaming youths.

“Our corporate objective says Mr Dutton, ‘’is to be at the forefront of these developments and to be in a position to meet the increasing expectations of our consumers and to be a champion of the fashion business in Africa and beyond’’. He said this today while speaking at a press parley at the company’s corporate head- quarters on Marina, Lagos. He added that in order to achieve these, DaViva “will look to nurture long-lasting relationships with all our partners and stakeholders in our business and through this to improve the livelihoods of people in our markets through the development of the fashion industry”.

Unveiling company’s plan for the future, Mr Dutton revealed that Da Viva plans to increase visibility through participation in Africa Fashion Week London, scheduled for next month, and also partnering with Kinabuti in the Dare2Dream Grand Finale also in September, as well as supports FADAN’s major fashion event coming up later in the year. He revealed that in the future and in spite of the difficult economic environment, Da Viva plans to give consumers, a good shopping experience, with the renovation of the Da Viva shop in Onitsha and the expansion of product range that will explore other fabrics other than cotton and silk. And to please the large population of Africans in the diaspora, Mr Dutton added that the company in the future will look to establishing a store in the UK where Africans can buy some of their DA Viva designs.

In her remarks, Public Relations Officer, Da Viva, Miss Carol Arhere appreciated the media for their continued support and coverage of the brands events.