• Prof. Azuah (standing) talking to the tutors

A workshop to equip Fashion Design Tutors in the Senior and Vocational Institutions in the Western Region took place at Fijai in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of the region recently.

The workshop aimed at preparing the tutors to teach the students how to sew beautiful dresses for different occasions using Ghanaian fabrics was on the theme “Wear Ghana: The Role of Senior High Schools and Vocational Training Institutions Towards Revamp­ing the Interest in Ghanaian Products in the Youth of Today”.

The Head of Department (HOD) of Fashion Design and Technology at the Takoradi Technical University (TTU), Prof. (Mrs) Scholatisca Azuah said there was nothing more beautiful than coming out decently dressed in the Ghanaian fabric and style.

She said the Ghanaian Kente and the Northern local Cloth among other fabrics identified the Ghanaian out­side Ghana and there was no need to introduce oneself if you dressed well as the local people always did.

She said the main objective was to make the students develop great interest in how to create their own designs especially with Ghanaian fabrics.

She told the tutors to choose their own designs to teach the students for the supervisors or lecturers to come and see how far they were in confor­mity with the Ghanaian styles.

She again asked them to choose the day of exhibition to coincide with the school’s entertainment day for the school masters and students to have a fair view of fashion as this could create market for the depart­ment.

The HOD advised the teachers to avoid using any foreign styles because the competition was mainly dealing with Ghanaian styles so they should stick to home wear.

A Fashion Design Teacher at the Takoradi Senior High School (TADIS­CO), Madam Victoria Baiden was of the view that the Vocational Institu­tions under Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) had more practical periods than the Se­nior High Schools (SHS).

She said they were more equipped in materials and equip­ment than the SHS and so could have a better chance of organising them­selves better than the Senior High Schools.

She, therefore, suggested the separation of the High Schools from the TVET Schools to be on a fair ground because the TVET Schools had a better chance of winning com­petitions.

The competition is being organ­ised by the Western Regional Centre for National Culture in collaboration with TTU and partly sponsored by Embel Fashion, PS Collection and Fashion School.

From Peter Gbambila, Fijai.