07 Sep Dzifa Anagblah;Creating A Luxurious and Sustainable African Fashion Brand.

Most often, complex problems are tackled through simple, yet, creative solutions. Dzifa Anagblah loves to solve complex problems through creative and innovative means, and this is exactly what she does with Safi Label. Safi Label is a fashion brand and movement committed to providing apparel and accessories in an eco-conscious and sustainable way in its socially-inclusive model. Safi Label melds the love of African culture and style with a commitment to thoughtful production for socially conscious consumers.

The brand transitioned from “Bloom Bags” to “Safi Label” after a summer Research Project in 2019, and now focuses on creating a sustainable fashion model that targets socially conscious consumers. The brand transition came as a result of the company’s decision to enter into the production of complementary accessories such as footwear and apparel.  Safi Label understands the relevance of a socially impactful enterprise and structured its business model to make a difference in Ghana by using traditional craftsmanship, sustainable design thinking, plastic-free packaging, and supporting low-income artisan communities with employment opportunities.     

Working with the Ashesi Venture Incubator (AVI), has further strengthened the company to align its objectives to champion some of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Safi Label’s work contributes to the Reduction of Gender Inequality (SDG 5), Promoting Decent Work (SDG 8) and Improving Life on Land (SDG15), through its effective use of by products

Unemployment, Waste Management, and Corporate Gender Inequality are some of the key problems in Africa that call for innovation, advocacy, and strategic thinking to resolve them. Dzifa believes that these complex problems can be solved through innovations like hers. To empower women in the fashion industry,Safi Label focuses on identifying the skills of its female employees and providing supplementary training that will enable them to create what she describes as “trendsetting masterpieces”. Men are not excluded from what Safi Label has to offer, since the craftsmen it employs have access to the same training.

Safi Label seeks to increase the skill-set and employability of its workers through the provision of training and skills development platforms. Describing how the company contributes toward ensuring effective waste management, Dzifa said:

“The fabric we use helps to make sure that there’s no waste. Apart from using our fabrics in highly efficient ways, we use materials that we can reinvent into other products. I’m in a space where a lot of waste is sent to the landfill by people and I’m trying my best not to be one of those people.” 

Safi Label is also working on a footwear project which it is hoping to launch this year. 

“Our footwear line makes use of upcycled materials. We don’t see used textiles as waste, but as valuable materials that we can use to make innovative and sustainable products” Dzifa said in an interview with some team members of Nexti2i.

After working with the AVI for almost a year, the company has experienced several transformation points. In Dzifa’s own words; 

“The main transformative event that I can call a success story is the transition of our brand from a traditional fashion business model into a hybridized business, with a clear value proposition and a target market.” 

Since entering  the AVI, Safi Label expanded from a team of 2 to 10, and now owns a production facility. 

It has further collaborated with some travel companies for travel bag collections, expanded from Accra, the capital city of Ghana, to partner with a community of 30 weavers whose mission is to create employment opportunities for youth in the Volta Region of Ghana.

Inspired by its achievements, Safi Label is projecting to launch a Campus Club that will engage in meaningful conversations about the need for sustainable fashion, ethical production, and consumption. As a long term goal, Safi Label plans to push the African Fashion Industry into a more sustainable direction through awareness, education, and collaboration. According to Dzifa, African fashion consumers need to embrace quality and sustainable fashion products, and pull back from fast fashion.

To find out more about Dzifa’s work with Safi Label, please click: https://mybloombags.com/