…Nomathemba Xaba urges fashion designers to turn creativity into commercially viable brands
BY NELIWE NGUBANE
EZULWINI— A beautiful garment may stop people in their tracks, but according to attorney Nomathemba Xaba, stopping them is only the beginning.
For a designer, the real victory comes when that attention becomes interest, interest becomes a purchase and a purchase becomes customer loyalty.
Xaba shared this message during the Eswatini IP Fashion Runway programme held at Royal Villas today, where she presented on understanding consumer preferences and turning creative ideas into fashion businesses.
She challenged designers and producers to look beyond their own creative preferences and understand the people they are designing for.
3 KEY POINTS
- know your customer
understanding consumers’ needs, lifestyles, purchasing power and preferences helps designers create products that remain relevant. - turn creativity into business
an idea becomes a business when it can be designed, desired, bought and experienced by the customer. - culture must create value
Eswatini’s heritage can inspire commercial products, but designers should interpret and modernise tradition rather than simply package it.
Xaba explained that consumers do not make purchasing decisions based on price alone. Quality, purpose, appearance, accessibility and the overall shopping experience all influence whether a customer decides to buy.
She warned designers that ignoring customer needs could leave them with shelves filled with products that are no longer relevant, ultimately leading to poor brand reputation, declining customer loyalty and loss of sales.
According to Xaba, customer feedback is business information, whether it comes through complaints, suggestions, preferences, repeat purchases or even silence from customers who do not return.
She further encouraged designers to understand market segmentation by considering demographics, geography, lifestyle and purchasing behaviour.
Beyond the traditional local customer, Xaba urged creatives to explore opportunities among the diaspora, tourists and international consumers, positioning their brands for export readiness.
She also highlighted social media as a powerful tool for designers to engage with customers, research trends, learn what consumers want and ultimately convert attention into sales.
“The consumer is at your doorstep,” was the message behind her digital strategy, as she encouraged designers to use social platforms not only to showcase products but also to listen and interact with their markets.
Xaba concluded by emphasising that a great design may attract attention, but understanding the customer is what turns attention into sales and sales into loyalty.
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