Designers Gatherer In Goma For The 10th Edition Of Liputa Fashion Week

“We weren’t scared, it’s true the enemy is at the door of the city of Goma. But that doesn’t matter, we have to defend ourselves, we have to take advantage of the time when we are here, alive.” Fiston Kheta (he came to watch the show for the 10th edition).
Designers from across different African countries gathered in the eastern Congolese city of Goma for the Liputa fashion show held in solidarity for peace. The show, which is the 10th edition, brought designers from different countries including DRC, Senegal, the U.S., Uganda, and Ivory Coast.
The LIPUTA fashion week is an annual event held to promote African fashion as a powerful instrument and weapon of peace and social cohesion and inclusivity . The event is a symbolism of the pursuit of peace considering the fact that the eastern Congo region has been locked in a battle of supremacy of who controls the natural resources, this has resulted to a lot of violence and armed conflicts leading destruction of lives and properties with many taking refuge in IDP camps across the country.
This year, the organizers gathered to convey a strong message on the role of fashion in the promotion and sustenance of peace. Their simple but heart reaching message was simple: “Fashion, and more broadly culture, can be powerful vectors of peace and social cohesion.”
They called for the intervention of relevant organs to intensify efforts to bring lasting peace in the region.
One of the organizers David Gule said “We are waiting for our message to be heard, listened to, by the international community. We are in the city of Goma. We live here. We want positivity to continue in all regions in our city. This is why we continue to hold this, to show that despite what we have suffered, we do not give up and we remain resilient. We want peace to return and we want to develop our industry of Congolese fashion. We also want our place in the international world of fashion.”
Culture and fashion are a shelter to all forms of diversity, and the case of Goma won’t be different.