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to protect their own business interests first, “… so we as independent designers need to<br />
realise this and overcome these business challenges in a mature way” (Interview, 18/7/06).<br />
8.6 Production<br />
Further evidence obtained though the interviews points to a lack of efficiency among<br />
some CMTs. A common complaint was that delivery deadlines are not kept and at times,<br />
the quality of the finished products does not meet the specifications and standards of the<br />
designer. Until CMTs are managed effectively and the price of textiles is reduced to meet<br />
the small runs needed by most designers, the final cost of designer content will remain<br />
high.<br />
There was also a general feeling that some CMTs cannot produce well-made garments or<br />
fulfill the designers’ needs for timely output; also, many of the designers felt that CMTs were<br />
lacking in business administration skills. As designers, they can ill-afford the time and energy<br />
required to relentlessly track the off-site production process and follow up on deliveries.<br />
Karen <strong>report</strong>ed that CMTs often allowed their other clients - rival designers and<br />
manufacturers, and even retail buyers - to walk around their production rooms, with all the<br />
designs in <strong>full</strong> view, making them vulnerable to copying. Some of the designers had<br />
overcome this problem by starting their own CMT operations.<br />
In response to a question as to why designers might be wary of releasing details of their<br />
suppliers (whether these be textile wholesalers or CMTs), most confirmed that the industry is<br />
so competitive that when one locates trustworthy, reliable, skilled suppliers, “ one holds<br />
onto them and becomes selfish” (Interview, 6/7/06).<br />
8.7 The Designers and the Informal Economy<br />
The South African Department of Arts and Culture has partnered with the Sanlam South<br />
African Fashion Week by facilitating a total of 270 crafters from the informal economy to<br />
work with 27 selected designers, with the objective of creating innovative designs that<br />
marry the skills found in the informal economy with the formal retail clothing sector. The<br />
promotional material presents the programme thus: “South Africa has to find innovative<br />
ways to manage the realities of global competitiveness, with the design sector being<br />
considered to have a fundamental role to play in the long-term development of a<br />
sustainable textile and clothing industry.”<br />
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