Engendering Traditional African Dresses; Aliou Bah Dreams of Liberia’s First Fashion Design University

Africa’s oldest Republic, is not only marveled by peers for its abundant natural resources reserves including iron ore, rubber, gold, diamond, and the largest rainforest in the West African sub-region which makes agriculture activity an easy adventurism-but the tiny West African nation is also rich in material resources to produce one of the continent’s best fashion wears and traditional attires.

Currently leading the country’s latest prize in the manufacturing of different African fashions, designs and styles, include the “Novela, Cass Paussi’ere, Marie Capable”, all of which are being produced and designed by the “Master-B Fashion Design”, a local Liberian and African fashion wears designer group.

In the past six months, the fashioner designer group has now grab the attention of the Liberian public and also attracted hundreds of customers from Guinea, Mali, Senegal, United States of America, Europe, etc.

In spite of the enormous potential the country possesses in leading the future for the best African traditional attires, the lack of home manufacturing and the appetite for the promotion of such designs has been posts as the leasing challenge for the nation’s fashion industry, a trajectory in which Founder and CEO of the “Master-B Fashion Designer” group hopes to change through the establishment of a well-recognized and a renowned Fashion Design University in the country, the first ever creation of such university to be founded throughout Liberian history.

Aliou Bah, a Guinean national, who is now blending fashion designs with humanity, hopes his dream, would be actualized by firstly instilling into the mindset of the Liberian population that “We all have it takes to produce, design, and wear the best of attires that are being imported into the country from other nations. We have resources, manpower, and right people to provide the necessary training to get it done.”

“I started sewing cloths at the age of 11 while living with my uncle. I also went to school in Gabon and I obtained degree in fashion designing. It is a career that I have marveled throughout my life because as human beings, you are born, the first thing your parents do is to put cloths on you. The question then is: why don’t we design the best of cloths to wear? It is a great profession to venture into. It is my dream that I create a fashion design university in Liberia, which would be the first of such school in this country. We have everything it takes to open this university here. We have the material, resources, and the technical knowhow to make this happen in this country. I love Liberia and the Liberian people for their great hospitality. They are great people.”

While his natural talent to become professional fashion designer may everlasting mandate in mind and purpose, adding humanity to his ambitious dream, Bah replied this news network in an exclusive interview, said: “Nowadays, I see a lot of young people who go to the university and drop out. It is my vision that we can help to transform most of these. Young people in the society to become very productive for the growth of the society.”

The highly talented fashion designer also revealed his involvement in the training of more than 35 Liberian tailors on fashion designers in the country. “I have participated in the training of Liberians in fashion designs and other basic skills. We are always in the business of educating young people in this country because we believe this is the only what that we can move the society forward,” he asserted.