Article Summary: West African fashion for the VANS 2014 collection explores the extraordinary cultural richness and creative vision of West African fashion designers and their remarkable influence on global style.
Della, a socially responsible LA-based company, employs over 50 women in the developing villages of Ghana, West Africa, and what they are producing are not only quality products, but also beautiful, fashionable ones at that.
Having paired up this season with Vans shoes, Della is hoping to expand the awareness of what their company is doing in Ghana.
Della founder and head designer, Tina Tangalakis spoke of the people she has been working with there for over four years. “It’s a peaceful village, the people are extremely warm and we’ve gotten so close,” she says.
For the partnership with Vans, the men and women who are employed by Della in West Africa have created six unique designs, all hand crafted and one of a kind. To create the one of kind styles they use a special form of fabric dying. Batik, a West African form of fabric dying incorporates using hot wax and foam pieces to create one of a kind patterns and dye formations. The process, done outdoors in the lush landscape, is involved and includes many rounds of dying, waxing, dewaxing and drying before the fabric is ironed, cut and sewn to make each pair of shoes.
Head seamstress Esenam Nyaho states, “Della has changed our lives and we learn new things all the time.”
Overall, this partnership with Vans has allowed Della to employ over 60 people on this project. Della also lends a hand in skills training, weekly literacy classes, money management workshops, social security and health benefits.
Tangalakis went on to say, “My hope is that companies can not only be relevant and fashionable, but also that they could have heart. And we want to show that quality goods can come out of Africa.”
With the new vibrantly colorful VANS | Della line available in time for Spring/Summer 2014 we have no doubt that this will be a huge success for all parties involved.
For more information on Della visit – http://www.dellala.com/
To view the VANS|Della Shoe Line visit – http://www.vans.com/microsites/classics/della/
