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24 December, 2007
The pressure against Matthew Williamson, a British high profile designer, who has introduced Ethiopian national dresses in his spring/summer ‘08 collections, is mounting worldwide.
The Ethiopian government has also announced its anger over the attempt, revealing that investigations have been started. At the same time, Ethiopians from all over the world have continued in their protests against the designer, claiming the two dresses to be purely Ethiopian national dresses and design.
Asked by The Independent, one of the popular papers in the UK, whether he feels offended by Matthew’s dresses, Berhanu Kebede, Ethiopia’s Ambassador in London, has so far declined to comment. The embassy has already alerted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Addis.
Abdurazak Omer of the Intellectual Property Office here in Addis told reporters in London that the Ethiopian government is not pleased with the actions of the designer. “These are the dresses of our mothers and grandmothers. They symbolize our identity, faith and national pride. Nobody has the right to claim these designs as their own.”
However, the spokeswoman for Matthew Williamson told Elle magazine that “the design team derived inspiration from various African countries and tribal groups. In presenting his spring/ summer 2008 collection Matthew Williamson strived to gain recognition and admiration for not only the traditional dress of the Ethiopian people, but also other African communities whose beautiful traditional techniques are also evident in the show.”
But following Abdurazak’s criticism, Matthew Williamson spoke to Vogue magazine to insist that they are intended to celebrate traditional African costumes. His spokesperson also added that “Our style is in part defined by incorporating many different cultures, traditions and customs. The spring/summer 2008 season was particularly inspired by the idea of modernizing and celebrating certain traditional African fabrics and costumes.”
Now reports in London are revealing the fact that the designer has taken the inspiration of Ethiopian traditional clothes from a show created from an entire collection inspired by Africans in London which was shown at London Fashion Week in September 1999, in which Ethiopian designs were included.
Senior official at the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office told Capital that the office is studying the case and checking if the designer has been given a patent right yet. “We are looking for ways and possibilities to protect our national heritage,” concluded the source.
By Abiy Demilew - Capital