Riaan 
I-AL-HUSSINIYA, Iraq: Esigodini sesundu enyakatho ye-Baghdad, abelusi base-Iraq abamangele babuka njengoba amamodeli ekhombisa izingubo zamasekeni ezansi endaweni ethuthukisiwe, befuna ukuqwashisa ngomthelela wemboni yezemfashini kwezemvelo.
I-Haute couture isingene endleleni yezimpahla ezithuthukisiwe, ezithathwe ezingutsheni esezike zasetshenziswa, njengoba amamodeli enyakaza, ehlaba ikhefu futhi ezungeza emzileni wezindiza, okuwuphawu lokuthandwa okukhulayo kwezingubo zakudala ze-chic, ezinobungani nemvelo phakathi kwabase-Iraq abancane.
“Asifuni ukukhiqizwa ngokweqile kwezingubo, kufanele sizisebenzise kabusha,” kusho u-Mohamed Qassem, 25, ongumcwali wezinwele nomhleli wombukiso wemfashini eduze kwesigodi sase-Al-Hussainiya.
Imboni yezemfashini yomhlaba wonke yaba ngamaphesenti ama-2 okukhishwa kwegesi ebamba ukushisa ngo-2019, ngokusho kweWorld Resources Institute.
Abakhankasi kanye nenani elikhulayo labagqugquzeli bemithombo yezokuxhumana abakhathalela isimo sezulu baholele ekuphusheni kwemfashini esimeme.
Intsha eningi e-Iraq ecindezelwe yisimo sezulu, njengo-Qassem, isizifela ngezingubo zakudala.
Umcimbi we-palm Grove ububonise amajakhethi aluhlaza okotshani, amajazi esikhumba amade amnyama, ama-blazer anamabele aphindwe kabili, kanye nezimpahla zesimanje ezithatha imvunulo yesintu.
Ezingxenyeni eziningi zase-Iraq, ezikhungethwe amashumi eminyaka ezingxabano, isigqi esinokuthula sibuyela kancane kancane empilweni yansuku zonke futhi izingubo zamasekeni zinikeza abasafufusa bemfashini ithuba elithengekayo lokuziveza.
Izinsongo zesimo sezulu
Njengoba imigwaqo yase-Baghdad ibona “imfashini esheshayo” eyengeziwe kanye nemikhiqizo evela kwamanye amazwe, izingubo zomcimbi we-Al-Hussainiya zifaka izici eziluhlaza kakhulu, ukuvuma ngekhanda umlayezo wemvelo wohlelo.
I-Iraq, efana nokukhiqizwa kwedethi, ibone izintende zesundu zayo eziwuphawu zibekwe ngaphansi kwengcindezi ngenxa yokushintsha kwesimo sezulu kanye neminyaka yezingxabano.
“Inhloso akukona ukugxila ezingutsheni kuphela, kodwa namasimu ezithelo alahliwe, amasundu anyamalala mihla namalanga,” kusho uQassem.
I-United Nations ithi i-Iraq enothe ngowoyela ingelinye lamazwe amahlanu abhekene kakhulu nemithelela yokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu, asevele abona ukushisa okukhulu kwasehlobo, isomiso esivamile, ukugwaduleka neziphepho zothuli ezivamile, ezizobhebhethekisa njengoba iplanethi ishisa.
Imiklamo embukisweni wemfashini ngeke idayiswe. Abahleli bathemba ikakhulukazi umbukiso ongokomfanekiso uzoqwashisa abantu.
U-Ahmed Taher, umdwebi wesitayela oneminyaka engu-22 ohlanganisa amasethi ombukiso, uthe “izingcezu zesibili ziyizingubo zekhwalithi enhle kakhulu.”
“Uma uzigqokile uba nomuzwa wokuthi ugqoke izimpahla zikanokusho.
Umfundi webhizinisi, u-Taher unikeza izingubo zakudala zase-Baghdad ku-Instagram – lapho enabalandeli abangaba ngu-47,000 – ethengisa izingcezu cishe ngama-$20.
“Sifuna ukugqoka izingubo ezihlukile futhi zingabukeki zonke,” usho kanje.
‘Hlala impilo yakho yonke’
Umfundi owaphenduka imodeli yosuku, uSafaa Haidar, uthe ukhangwe izingubo zakudala njengoba ekwazi ukuthenga “ngokobuntu bami.”
Kodwa e-Iraq, lapho i-UN ilinganisela cishe ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yezakhamuzi eziyizigidi ezingu-42 ziphila ngobumpofu, abaningi bagqoka izingubo ezisetshenzisiwe ngenxa yesidingo.
Ezindleleni ezimazombezombe emakethe yezimpahla zamasekeni emaphakathi ne-Baghdad, izitebele zigcwala njalo ngoLwesihlanu amahembe, izicathulo namajini, abathengi behlola osayizi phambi kwabathengisi.
Lapha, ihembe lingabiza kancane u-$2, kanti ezinye izingcezu zingathengiswa ngemali efinyelela ku-$60 noma i-$200.
U-Mohamed Ali, umfundi wobunjiniyela oneminyaka engu-20, weza ezothenga izicathulo.
“Akukhona ukuthi asinawo amandla okuthenga amasha, kodwa lapha sithola izingcezu ezingcono nezihlukile,” usho kanje.
U-Ali walandisa ngezindaba zabazali bakhe kusukela eminyakeni yawo-1990, lapho unswinyo lwaseNtshonalanga ngokumelene ne-Iraq lwalusho ukuthi bazogqoka izingubo, ngisho “ngaphakathi ngaphandle, baze baguge, ngoba babengakwazi ukuthenga” ezintsha.
Manje, u-Ali kanye nabangane bakhe abaningi bathenga izingubo zakudala ukuze bahlale beqinile nesitayela sabo, esho.
Umthengisi u-Hassan Refaat, 22, uthengisa izingubo zamasekeni ezivela kwamanye amazwe, ezithola impilo entsha kuma-wardrobes ase-Iraq.
Uphinde angenise izimpahla endaweni yase-Iraq esenyakatho ezimele i-Kurdistan, esemngceleni womkhiqizi omkhulu wezindwangu iTurkey.
“Izimpahla zesibili zisezingeni eliphezulu kunezimpahla ezintsha ezitholakala emakethe,” usho kanje.
“Izikhathi eziningi, ziyizingcezu ezinophawu, futhi izinhlobo zihlala impilo yonke,” engeza.
