Sewasew Design - Reimagining Traditional Ethiopian Apparels
Ethiopia is a country with more than 80 nations and nationalities with their own unique culture to be represented in many ways, one of which is clothing. Traditional clothing has been a distinction among different ethnicities in Ethiopia. We can find meaning in every design of their clothing; its color, patterns, or choice of material. On the other hand, modern attire has influenced most urban areas. The lack of fashionability and practicality in traditional clothes are the main reasons behind it. Designer Sewasew Hailu was inspired to jump in and promote our culture.
Named after its founder, Sewasew Design was founded nearly 18 years ago by Designer Sewasew Hailu, a passionate and artistic designer. Sewasew is a self-taught designer; she picked it up from her grandmother. She saw that the traditional clothing industry had not evolved much, so she set out to pursue her passion through Sewasew.
Her journey began with buying one sewing machine and quitting her day job. To get some inspiration she went to different fashion shows and saw what she could potentially provide to the public in the form of traditional clothing. After preparing her first few clothes, she advertised her product by having friends and family wear them in their neighborhoods as a show of her talent. That led to a shop opening around Bole with 15 employees at the workshop.