On the last series, “Stitching Vision Into Reality,” I opened up about the early days of the small beginnings inside my late grandmother’s home, and the quiet determination that built it stitch by stitch. It was a story of making space when there wasn’t one, of threading purpose into fabric, and of believing that we can create from where we are with what we have. I also put out a call: We’re looking for co-builders. Partners. Purpose-led investors. Curious collaborators. Because while the vision may begin with one person, the building requires many.
This time around, the story I want to share is a deeper, more vulnerable one. A reflection. A call. A truth.
When I say DolMel ™ is more than a brand, more than just another fashion business, I mean it. At its core, DolMel ™ is a movement. A mission. A way of saying: “We can do things differently. We must do things differently.”
But here’s the truth: the fashion and textile industry we’re trying to build in Ethiopia is hard. Not because we lack talent. Not because we lack vision. But because we’re building on uneven ground. The ecosystem isn’t friendly. The gaps are wide. Supply chain gaps. Infrastructure gaps. Financial gaps. Gaps in collaboration. Gaps in accountability. A culture of isolation. A lack of trust. A silent epidemic of gatekeeping.
We all feel it. I’ve felt it.
I wish I had all the answers. I don’t. But I do know this: it takes a village. A real one. A village with integrity. A village with vision. A village willing to leave its ego at the door and build together.
We need to start nurturing each other’s wins, acknowledging each other’s losses, and finding strength in our shared purpose. The next generation of creatives in our industry deserves to inherit something stronger than what we found. Not by dismissing the efforts of those before us, they paved the way, but by improving the road ahead. The structures that should have carried our industry forward weren’t built. It’s our turn now.
One of our biggest setbacks is the normalized culture of working in silos. I’ve witnessed how powerful our conversations can be when we come together, the ones that keep us up at night, where we dream of what could be. These conversations are powerful, emotional, moving, and deeply inspiring. But then we go back to our corners. Back to our chaos. The cycle repeats. We need more than talk. We need consistent, intentional action.
DolMel ™‘s goal has never just been to produce clothes. It’s to be part of building an ecosystem that works, that empowers, connects, and strengthens creatives. A shared table. A circle, not a ladder.
Yes, we have reasons to be skeptical. We’ve seen collaborations fail. We’ve seen collectives fade. We’ve experienced exclusion from closed circles. But that isn’t a reason to stop trying. It’s a reason to do it differently.
We can’t afford to be gatekeepers. Not in an industry still finding its feet. We have a responsibility to each other. And the only way forward is through intentional collaboration, with shared goals, accountability, and integrity.
Let me be real: I get pulled in many directions. I have good days and deeply frustrating ones. I’m tired. I’m hopeful. I’m determined. And I know many of you feel the same. That’s why this is a call to action for all of us to hold space for one another.
To build an industry that works, we need each other more than we think.
I want to take a moment to acknowledge an event that reaffirmed this belief: Denim Day Ethiopia, the first of its kind in our country, organized by Tibebu Collection and presented bySarah Negussie. A day that used fashion as a tool for activism, raising awareness about sexual violence and standing in solidarity with survivors. This is what fashion with purpose looks like. This is what collaboration for impact can achieve.
To my peers in this space, this is your invitation:
Let’s not keep waiting. Let’s not keep hoping for the perfect time, the perfect structure. Let’s begin where we are. Let’s build the system we wish we had. Let’s design a future where creatives thrive together.
Sarah Negussie Natanem Wondwossen Daniel Degemu Mekdes Mesfin Yididya Yared Eyerusalem Alemayehu Danawit Alema Lek pattern Beza Tibebu Zemeta Sisay Beza Mengistu Yonatan Zemichael Ruth Tadesse Wintana Wich Samrawit Tsegaye
If you’re with me, share what you think is one step we can take right now to begin healing and strengthening our creative industry.
We rise together or not at all.
Let’s keep going… shall we?
#DolMelWave Continues
