nazret.com

A spokeswoman for Matthew Williamson's company said in a statement: "The design team derived inspiration from various African countries and tribal groups. That is only Ethiopian dress not African dress!!! No other African country has dress like this.

Those dress ARE not african ! They are
ETHIOPIAN !

it is ammazing how the ethiopian national dress is beautifull.but while the ethiopian desiner forgot about the fereng did it so what is the problem?EVEN IT IS GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR ETHIOPIAN SHEMANE they will export more material to those desiners if they make a deal otherwise it is just funny.let all women of the world dress these beautiful dress and we will proud.how many desiners in ethiopia use someones intelectuals property in the sphare of shoose and close industry?

This is the Ethiopain dress and only theirs. It is good to see the Ethiopians rise up in such a way to defend what is their own. We have seen that in the coffe case with star buck and got it resolved. I hope Ethiopia and Ethiopians will prevail in this case too. Aselamualikum.

Mr. Williamson is commiting a tort. He intentionally causing a confusion about ethiopian unque product by representing as being Africa's.

I think white woman more beautful and more modern then the black Ethiopian woman.
I think the dress in Question is not Ethiopian dress it is one of opressed ethnic groups ONLY.

Second Ethiopian govt. should pay those white woman million doller each for wearing those dorza dress.

3rd those dorza ethinc groups are pure Africans unlike the Amhara who think they are not Africans by saying those dress are not Africans based on their own saying they are not Africans but they should not deny those dorza root. who are pure Africa...

4th if you think the dorza are Ethiopia not Africans then you are repeating yourself.....

5th remember you are calling those dorza names?
if you forget let me remind you if you say any one anyone at all with flat nose you calling them dorza meaning they are "Ugly" just because they have flat now

you can cliam your Amhric your history if you like but leave your hand from the dorza dresss.

What a crap people write on this issue!
•Here is the basic point, Does Mr. Williamson give recognition to the country of origin for its design? Probably not, but he did include Africa. (of course Ethiopia is part of Africa, for those of you who get confused with Geography)

•The second point is, does the Ethiopian government the right to contest for the ownership of the particular cloth fabric, YES!

•I am sure, after OXFAM investigate the matter thoroughly they will come in conclusion for Mr. Williamson to fairly recognize and pay the fair trade value for Ethiopian Shemmane’s.

•Overall, It is a good thing well known designer try to promote the Ethiopian fabric as long as the property right of the Country of origin fully respected.

•Folks, at the end of the day it will open market for Ethiopian Shemane’s to export their fabric…
•Now, tell me that is bad for the Country….!!!

It’s an habeshan people dress not only Ethiopian but that includes Eritrea, folks not only that majority of this dress is worn by traditional beautiful Eritreans see one of the Eritrean weddings, sorry guys just to let you know incase you forgot meanwhile a lot of people will be angry over this comment for sure just go head and burn your self up over this as usual as for me ta ta for now

It is hardto control a particular clothing design that is so traditional and has been around for hundreds of years. What made me mad (and probably many others) was seeing a white girl sport around in the dress like she discovered something new and the designer acting like he made such a huge discovery. In the business world- "infringement". Give some money to Ethiopia's causes since you want to take our style!

hey redneck called "white man" please go live in a trailer with your white trash rednecked family ok. Typical redneck country boy saying a white woman is more beautiful then a authentic Ethiopian woman. The Ethiopian government doesn't have to pay shit to these white woman.

Mr. Ethioian and Mr. Ethio are possibily two Eritrean here beaware of them. We Ethiopians are Africans!!! Our dress represent AFrican and done for several years in history.

Designer William did not just get inspiration he imported it whole. it looks like an imported dress to me.

We import many dresses but never called 'em ours.

I just want him to acknowledge where he get it from and name the dress "Habesha".

Can somebody tell me what the problem is?
I would be happy if I see other cultures start to integrate our(African) dress.

I GOT IT.

May be Meles's goverment () want some money from it?

I am a white man,

second: Does Ethiopian own copy right to Shemane.

The answer is NO! No body own the right to Shemane.... it is public property.

If you don't know any copy righted porperty exprid after 100 years and become public property.

3rd.
Yes Ethiopia govt. might have a case to copy right the name "Shema" it self.

for example any country can make a CAR... BUT they can't call it ford or any other brand beside that they can make any car they want any name it any thing they want.

Meaning anyone can make Shema but can't call it Shema but they can call it UK shema.

I know it is very hard to make you understand a ford company first they make car but they have no copy right to the name "CAR" BUT FORD.

IN Ethiopian anyone can make shema but you prefrerd the dorza shema just like that.

about the oxfirm case... Ethiopia can't say she own the name "coffee" but she can say she own the name Jama coffee etc etc.

Any one can produce coffee but can't call it jama coffee you see that is what Ethiopia try to protect not the coffee.

I know it is very hard to admit that we are going to lose our Ethiopian Shemane’s to China made one but that is the fact and face it up and make the Shema prodcation modern or lose it out to chian made even the Ethiuopian woman might buy the chianse made over dorza made if we are stitting and posting hate 24/7 instead of going home (Ethiopia) modernized the process... it doesn't take million dollars to modernzed the shama making process... it is already their are modfication made to the shame machine... what we need is the bank to give them loan to buy those machine so that the shama maker can produce their shama 10 time faster then the old mathod. this way they can charage five time lass then what they charage now and still make profit... whent he price go down more people can afford to buy...

the second way to promot Ethiopian shama is to make it company unform... not those with NATALA but the same as the photo the white woamn or model wear can be more apporpert for many comany this way they can increased the sale.

Don't forget GABEE "BLANKET" THEY gabee can be sold for 5 star hotel hence promoted them as Ethiopian blanket.. instead of using imported one. how about it using htem in hospital too. this way the sale increased... use we can use this interent for good stuf or bad stuff instead of wasting our time pelase someone do something take mine idea and make million of dollars with it.. i don't care as long as the poor benfit. the Ghana people didn't say any thing when the black Americaqn adopted their dress... in fact we should promot our dress by paying million of dollars for top model or asking those star who come to Ethiopia to wear our dress can you imange asking RICE to wear our dress for free... all the fist lady that come to our country should be given one and ask them to wear it for photo... don't still forget paying million of dollars for top models to promot our closth... this will helop the local woman to wear it if they see the outdider wear it too.

my thought also is the same with
due and full recognition of the origin of the cloth( Yehabesha tibeb libis) should be let known. The
exclusiveness of cultural attires should never be undermined by some designers who are a bit unique to incorporate some global custumes.

This white man i do not know why
he acts as intelligent by stealing
the Ethiopia's tradition. he has to get permission from Ethiopian government before he shows the stuff the world.
Does he think that we have no
government to protect our culture
and property.
He has to pay for the damage
he has done and publicly admit his mistake

A large percentage of our men and women wear European clothes. What is wrong if foreigners wear Ethiopian clothes?
If it is about money, patent or something, I do not know, let’s say it clearly. Otherwise we must be proud that other people appreciate our culture and our tradition.

what a shame!!

hi people
do not let the indian and the chaines
take over this market. stop agonizing
over this and let the export starts.

I do not see any problem with this as long as the guy does not claim to be the creator of our Shema or tries to patent it. Really guys, the lady looks very cute. Personally, I want the world to know that Ethiopia is a lot more than just the face of hungry children. Let the world see, how beautiful is our dress. Look how this beauty flaunts it on stage, what a sartorial elegance of our Shema. Mr. Williamson, hope you visit our beautiful country and get inspired also by other colorful and beautiful traditional Ethiopian fashion clothing. It is hard for our designers to make it to the Haute Couture in Paris. May be so, the Shema and the makers of it will enter the international main stream fashion. Peace

That white chick looks good in that ehtio dress.

that is the funniest thread i have ever seen
quote :"I think the dress in Question is not Ethiopian dress it is one of opressed ethnic groups ONLY." That i really funny.አይ ፈረንጅ

another quote: "do not let the indian and the chaines
take over this market. stop agonizing
over this and let the export starts." .ሻርን በለኝ

More seriously, if that gives some kind of an advertisement for ADDIS and the affluent Ethiopian women starts wearing ሃበሻ ቀሚስ instead of those jeans, it would be a good thing for the producers. Otherwise, no impact.

withe man! you worthe nothing bro.you are loooser.you used your negativ energy and shuch long text and word to express your heat and gelusy.

ETHIOPIA FOR EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

aye habesha we wear there jeans why
not they wear our`s

I may be confused or something, maybe someone can help me out. I forgot why it was so wrong to appreciate another's culture and share it with the rest of the world wih no ill will or cruel intention. Please remind me on that notion. Thanks.

first to Coolman une chapeau. dj. tibe. omo. black/whiteman, myman, also sosina/?/, Giyorgis, wozete thx...

It is ok to me to appropriate and redesign folkloric dresses. But my streamer is not that thorny, but it does solicit the designer to mention at least his specific sources for this collection. Designer X has an absolute right as a world citizen to create and mix, appropriate (even conquer) world traditions of attires into his creative mode repertoires. Into his wardrobe; old traditions African or oriental – this movement is vital. The sooner the better. Countries which national attires are emulated or borrowed should not be too protective, or live as old hats untried about, anyway. His is a global fashion. Tobians, Raise, a designer - name him, name her - some one of international importance to create to you clothes of high culture. Until then, brodess and sistas shut up. You must know also those who cut and sew clothes can be more famous than you know political egelees and stock exporters and importers. Commerçantes of sesame and hides, you name them, or political activists from both un/official. A NY based turkish designer was commissioned to design special hair cover for the PM's wife that can make her move comfortably among her peers with out being noticed. We just had our one super model, but we don't have yet a fashion designer of int"l prominence. We must wait him/her.

Don't tell me all Ethiopians are clothing licensed items. Actually in the last and our century, i bet that no Ethiopian government or citizens have ever been taxed by international fashion houses. If you are starting to tax them, they will start on you. HSI was told, rumors have it, had bought licenses for his imperial body guard from the Windsor, where was it?. Do you know how many Ethiopians are using Bees Wax pots as mankeshkesha? Guigoz milk aluminium cans as Tela Metecha or Masesha eka. it will not be far away for world law firms to track tax evaders (a little or a bigger guy doesn’t matter) and put their protection law in Addis and Jimma. Min Alefachhu, these things are coming. Don’t awake the devil. Leave alone individuals who manufacture lambas from coca bottles and sardin cans but also our breweries and wineries are suspect (of this evasion). The task is you must design your own logos, bottles and name and sell them. It is a huge problem. We need a (1/2 , ¼ ) century to do that. And they will not wait us asleep when we reach there. if you can't get out of my face neew negeru: : So Timona ena bizu hard sira yikerewal negeru hulu: : Lenegeru we must educate our intelligentia and produce, produce, produce.

All the best folks…
Don’t say am a racist. The white attires – yesetoch abesha libs – doesn’t fit the European women very much. that is not the issue, but I love the European woman. My supposition is they look great with the Indian saris and other oriental robes but the Abesha libs seem to be precisely tailored for Teyayim Abesha weizazirt. Yess. Don’t say I am a new bred Afrocentrist. Truly even for Ethiopians Keyayii setoch – help me, translate this Ethiopian idiom of complexion lacquering - is also the same thing. They don”t fit to it as the teyayims do. Now boys who have Keyii mums with Niksat scream on me, saying ‘stop’. Keyoch or Nechoch, for that matter for one day, or two, can wear it. May be, these women look better with the more deeply dyed, grey ones. Cheers Yeethiopia Yageer libs! To be politically correct as a bloggers begged us to think also neighbors he meant Yeeritra Yager Libs or Yalem Libs.

bebalager libs,
proud MT

I agree with white man! lets be proud of what we have, something very unique that even others want something we take for granted. Let us celabrate our beauty by wearing this more often.

I would like to see first more ethiopian women wearing this dresses. May be not, because they will not be afford it as it become more popular.

ethio i think ethiopia is in africa, u domma ras

Rule # 6 don't take yourself to seriously. Lighten up Ethiopians the world has changed. Globalization has taken over. Be part of the world, stop isolating yourself. You are part of the world.

Let him design bc we will take his ideas and show our shamaneowosh what the demand will be.Then made in Ethiopia will sell big time.At the end his is the looser

This is for White man.
This is my comment for you. blah, blah blah...

It is amazing so many of you are so patriotic and nationalist to suggest that this piece of cloth this ferenji girl wearing is somehow is going to make us poorer than we are.
I think this fellow is making the shamanes of Ethiopia popular by bringing this cloth to the fashion world and it is upto the the shamanes of ethiopia to exploit this newly found fame by putting competitive designs and dresses into the international markets. Those who only talk the talk should also do the walking and it means to create an avenue to bring benefits to the real producers of the garments.
So enough of these empty bravados and pseudo-nationalism.

I applaud Mr. Williamson for applying his talent in such a way.

cheers

ALL OF YOU ARE DAM

Minstry of foreign affairs investigating? And nothing better to do? This guy publicized our dress, a task that should have been performed by ministry of tourism. I would say I would honor this guy. This is free publicity for our culture. Ethiopian dress makers should be happy. We are sooooo? now we debate this nonsense.

Lack of knowledge Designer. . . reckless white color man. . . SHAME!!!!

I LOVE NAZRET.COM!

These comments are wonderful! I'm proud to be on that facebook group!

I can not believe it any one would support this. He is copying traditional Ethiopian dresses and I say we need to take action against this person. This is not something we should let go of...PLEASE my fellow Ethiopian and African let us take action because this is something that is stolen from us. The designer claims that he is inspired but he is copying us, this is not ethically and morally right. Some westerner people try to make our traditionally valued good as their own inventions but those of us who are here know that it is thievery. Let us take action NOW PLEASE!

Roberto Victorio:AND U ARE DUMBER

RE:MR FERENG!
Actually i don't think this was a feren comment,but some bad tigrea boy act like fereng just to assult amhara since the sickness of his mind didn't get cure.it is the system of tplf's game the way how he did.same savegery,he just thougt he is advanced.how ever any body can play his/her fractional game since that is the only thing what they understand.the ferenge little bite different,i 100% sure only tigrea can think this way.

Only some emphasized the main issues of patenting and improving production
methods. These are the critical aspects of Tibeb or other indigenious assets have to be looked. Stop the 'Zarafewa' and focus on patenting all our properties and improving technology of production and processing.How long do Oxfam and Donald pyne would argue for the deficiencies of our leaders? There are thousands of things that need to be patented in line to the rapidly progressing globalization and competition to own knowledge and technology systems. Hurray.....

I am proud what i am seeing but the designer must say this kind of clothe are dressed in Ethiopia not in other country in Africa.


White people you are generalize Africa. In Africa there are more than 50 countries. We Ethiopians we are saying proude we are Ethiopians. Our country is located in Africa thats all.

white man

I am living in Europa, in europa also many people are saying i am from France or England or Germany. Therefore we Ethiopians also have a rigth to say we are Ethiopians not Africans. That is the right of the people how they recognise themselfs.

ETHIOPIA Lezelalem Tinoralech!

Why some of you say this is Ethiopian, not African. What does it mean? Isn't Ethiopia Africa? We Africans have many things to share. This is an African dress unique to Ethiopia. That sounds better.
About design, he cannot have a pattent over the dress.

If you can't use it you loose it. Negative energy is counter productive. Let those who have the vision to create and identify beauty with an acknowledge of its Ethiopiennes by using up coming Ethiopian Models.

Why can’t we also look at this from business perspective. Nothing wrong with exploiting Ethiopian culture in a manner that serve the Ethiopian interest or culture (ie, The Starbucks incident). It would make me very proud to see people are walking around world wide with cloth that came from Ethiopian inspiration. I mean…you don’t hear the Chinese complaining about the Americanized Chinese restaurant foods??

To engeda's comment ...


God Bless you! Now if most of us had that kind of mentality ....we'll get ahead a little bit......may be!

I'm Ethiopian. It is absolutely ok for designers to present dress/fashion originated from Ethiopia as long as it is portrayed positively.

I don't understand raising the hay because a designer sampled from Ethiopia. There is no rule that says he can not do it. It goes to show the infiror mentality of those who are complaining abou this none issue.

These is, one of the pure African dresses that view Ethiopian ethnics dress as their cultural custom dress.

Its, mostly the Christians and who used and its very beautiful on holidays when PPL dressed.

We should be all proud of it and respect each culture its customs use.

It is worry me our identify sold by faggot.

Since when can you put s patent on style? Geez, lighten up poeple. He's not ruining your identity or putting down the Ethiopian culture. Don't we have more important things to complain about like, oh I don't know...poverty and sickness?

I am Ethiopian.

I think it is absolutly good for Ethio that our dress/fashion in advertised. He did what we failed to do and now we blame him. Not fair! Yes he is going to make money out of it but many other designers never paid attention to it. I have seen our local dress designers use foreign ideas in combination with ours. That is remarkable too.
derege

Good luck to the white man for recognizing the potential of Ethiopian designs and making the most of them. I hope this designs will make it to the next seasons collection in shops and boutiques all over the world. The stupid Ethiopian government should stop embarrassing themselves and wasting our meagre resources by fighting another round of ill advised claim of copyright. Instead they should use this opportunity to bolster the underexploited and ill equipped garment and apparel export sector. China and other Asian countries will be the premier sources of these products if the Ethiopian government does not move their arse and create the necessary conditions for the industry to thrive instead of harassing and murdering their own citizens.

Mr. White,
It is too sad to read such a thing in our Ethiopian Forum, Mr. White wrote
“ I think white woman more beautiful and more modern than the black Ethiopian woman.” I think you don’t know what you are saying, it is a big provocation, it shows just how you are empty minded person.
I don’t have any problem with Mr. Williamson to design our habeshan clothes and naming it as African. After all We Ethiopians are Africans and we are proud to be Ethiopian and nothing more and nothing less. We Ethiopians are the one who teaches a big lesson in Adwa that for the first time in history that Africans could win over one of the European countries Italy who invade our country. For that I could see persons like Mr. White uses any means to insult our people. But Mr. White I could assure you that the time will come where all the colonial countries have to pay for their un human deeds for the last 500 years.
Daniel

Ok so should the White men sue all the Ethiopian Govenment for wearing English suits to work? peole can be so silly somtimes!!! that he incorporates Ethiopian designs and fabric in his collection should be commended go to Shiromeda and see all Ethiopian tailors copying foreign fashion designs so we love to copy but when the shoe is on the othehr foot You all jump up and cry foul? look at: KALDIS [ COPY STARBUCKS ] MARIOT HOTEL [REAL NAME MARRIOTT BURGER QUEEN [ BURGER KING ] DENVER CAFE [ WITH DENVER BRONCOS LOGO] and many more..but now we say foul it is our porperty?????

It would be more apropriate to call it Ethiopian, rather than African; If he were to call it Ethiopian, by extension it is African too. I know the dress is used in Eritrea too, but I am talking about the original root. Other than that, as to me its a good promo for our Shemanes, and the civilization of Ethiopia...can you imagine other countries which don`t have any sort of own clothing...who rely solely on imported clothing...what would they have wore if such smart people as our Shemane forefathers were not there...may be the Koba q`tel?!

Mr. Max,
The debate and the issue is not who wears what. It's about branding and maintaining a logo rights. The English suits U mentioned are under British or others brands and some type of logos with permission. What many are saying to U and Ur likes is let the property rights for our indegineous assets and knowledge be registered and recognized when it is for business and profit purposes.
Clear? Thanks.

Who said this is Eritrean clothes. No it is not. There is no Dorze tribe in Eritrea, that cloth founded by Dorze tribe. That means it does not belong to Eritreans. For example, many Ethiopians wear suit or jeans; however, it does not mean that is Ethiopian clothe. It is not because it does not belong to Ethiopian. The same thing YEthiopian ager libise (Ethiopian clothes) does not belong to Eritrea. YSew Wereq ayademiqe new.

God Bless Ethiopia
God Bless Eritrea