From BBC
”It has to be soft, 100% cotton, hand-dyed and gently starched,” she states as she circulates among the dozen models about to hit the catwalk with her latest collection.
Malian brocade, the imported shiny cotton fabric that – once dyed – is the top choice among elegant West Africans, is enjoying a boom.
The dyeing and brocade-working sector, which employs an estimated 250,000 people in the capital, Bamako, was a surprise survivor as the Malian economy crumbled after the political and military crisis that began in 2012.
Abdoulaye Sanoko, director-general Mali’s Export Promotion Agency, says when foreign investors deserted Mali, the brocade sector simply looked for new markets.
”The informal nature of the sector was an advantage. The women just got on buses and took their products to neighbouring countries.
“We now have new markets and we urgently need to consolidate them. We need to start valuing this sector as a national asset,” he says.
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