What is your name and what is the name of your brand?
-My name is Kassim Serah and the name of my brand is Serah Kassim.
How have you been able to protect your design?
-I have basically not been protecting my designs because most times my clients know what They want.
What do you feel is the biggest legal problem of the Nigerian Fashion Industry?
-I think the biggest problem is the legal backing of patent of designs. Fashion isn’t really catered for legally, because I believe there should be a backing where once an inspiration is gotten from a designer, you have to reference them.
As a designer, Have you faced any legal downer in relations to theft of your intellectual property, and how did you address the problem?
-Nope, I haven’t faced any issue of theft of my intellectual property.
What do you feel the Nigerian Fashion Industry needs?
-I think the government needs to invest in the manufacturing process, in order to create good quality fabrics in prints, Ankara, silk and the likes instead of importing them or “looking into investing in Aba made one’s, those guys try to be honest”.
The industry needs one regulatory body for fashion designers, like a guiding body that will carry the young ones coming together, instead of each one doing whatever they like. I think an avenue can be created where the young ones could intern with designers for a period of time.
Thank you!