Madam Florence Agrah, Head of the Fashion Department at the Ho Polytechnic, at the weekend, urged Africans to appreciate local fashion designs.

She said such designs were a precious heritage, which defined the African personality, and could not be wished away for foreign ones.

Madam Agrah said this at a fashion show by her Department on the theme: “In the Shadow," to assess the creative skills of final year fashion students of the Polytechnic.

She said the African is fashionable from birth, which is demonstrated through traditional rites and festivals, and said with the right attitude, the fashion industry can transform local economies.

Madam Agrah said the ability of fashion students to use leather, carpets and sack to produce exotic and exquisite designs for dresses for all occasions showed the ingenuity and creativity of the African, and called for support for the sector.

All 96 students used local designs to express concepts, themes and inspirations in a trendy and captivating manner.

The jammed Polytechnic auditorium occasionally vibrated with yells, screams and shouts of appreciation by fashion lovers who were treated to the amazing array of colours.