The South African fashion industry is devastated and in shock after the passing of leading South African designer Coenraad de Mol.
De Mol passed away on Tuesday.
“Coenraad was a highly gifted and knowledgeable industry leader who derived great joy from the creative process which he expressed in his cutting-edge De Mil menswear label which was most recently seen at the Cape Wools and Mohair SA Designer Challenge show at SA Fashion Week in October 2019,” said Lucilla Booyzen, director of the South African Fashion Week.
“He was a perfectionist, exceptionally generous with his expertise and took great delight in his role as design and production technology tutor of SAFW’s 21 Steps to Retail Designer Programme”, she added.
De Mil was established in 1997 and moved into male-inspired, gender-neutral clothing in 2007. The designer said he did not regard gender neutrality as just a theme but “It’s what I do,” he would say.
His designs catered to those who don’t have a place as well as those who choose not to be boxed-in by societal norms or conventions.
Photographer Eunice Driver expressed her sadness on SA Fashion Week’s Instagram post saying: “What a loss for humanity and SA fashion”.
While Paul Tilsley took to Twitter to pay his respects, “Devastated. It turns out this was his final bow. Cenraad de Mol, known for his label DE MIL, at @safashionweek AW20. Coenraad passed on last night. A real friend, gone. A real creative force, lost to this world.”
Renowned South African Designer, Coenraad de Mol, Passes Away
The passing away of leading South African designer, Coenraad de Mol on Tuesday 19 May 2020, has left the local fashion industry devasted, says Lucilla Booyzen, director of the South African Fashion Week. pic.twitter.com/WY3dalsKba
Moulaye Taboure, founder of Afrikrea, a e-commerce marketplace for African fashion designers. Even though the platform predominantly services clients in Europe and the US, Taboure says orders from customers on the continent tripled on the platform over the past two months.
Further, Taboure says more designers in African cities with tougher movement restrictions are now signing up to the platform.
“This is definitely a game changer in Africa,” says the founder of Afrikrea, a fashion e-commerce marketplace in Abidjan.
Much of the demand shift is due to lockdown restrictions which have left brick and mortar retail outlets closed as governments attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19. In addition, reduced vehicular traffic also means deliveries can happen much faster in cities known for notorious traffic jams a boon for customer retention.
Put together, these coronavirus induced effects are “already positively impacting” e-commerce players in Africa, says Maxime Bayen, company builder at startup investment firm, GreenTec Capital. “The companies we are talking with in that space have seen their sales gone up clearly.”
It’s an effect that plays out even for business-to-business (B2B) enterprises. Sokowatch, which operates in in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda and supplies informal shops and kiosks in low-income communities with products, is signing up more shop partners and reporting a higher share of stock in local shops compared to traditional suppliers. “We are a technology-enabled supplier that provides same day delivery to their shop, it’s not an option that they have with traditional suppliers to the store,” says Sokowatch founder Daniel Yu.
Taking advantage
The dominant view among e-commerce players on the continent is the boon will last a while longer even after lockdown measures are eased. With physical distancing measures likely to remain in place in different forms, there’s a strong possibility of a drop in foot traffic at normally crowded shopping malls and stores. Taboure says Afrikrea is already tweaking its model to make it cheaper for designers based in Africa to sign up so as to cater for an expected growth in orders from across the continent.
And he’s not the only betting on riding the wave, Only the flexible will survive. Every business has to learn how to do things very differently.”
Pan-African payments giant Flutterwave has set up an e-commerce portal that allows merchants set up online shops that it will power payments for. Essentially, Flutterwave is positioning to facilitate and take advantage of any recourse to e-commerce by offline stores and merchants.
In Kenya, Twiga Foods, a marketplace which supplies retailers with fresh produce from farms, has partnered with Jumia to widen the scope of its reach, allowing households order and receive foodstuff without visiting supermarkets.
Similarly, FarmCrowdy, a Nigerian agri-tech platform that allows people invest in existing farms for a share of profits, has also launched a e-commerce platform for fresh produce. In addition to expanding the scope of market access for farmers within its network, the platform is also an obvious play to provide middle-class Nigerians with an alternative to crowded open-air markets that are likely viewed as high-risk for Covid-19 infections.
Established traditional businesses are also turning to e-commerce out of necessity. Eko Hotel, arguably the biggest hotel brand in Nigeria, has launched an online food delivery service, ostensibly to shore up revenue deficits given the impact of the pandemic on hospitality businesses.
“Only the flexible will survive,” says Victor Asemota, veteran tech investor. “Every business has to learn how to do things very differently. Those who have gained will want to sustain the momentum and those who have lost will die if they don’t change drastically.”
It’s not entirely a home-run for e-commerce businesses though. Supply chain disruptions could yet result in an inability to fulfill orders, especially in countries with strict lockdown measures. For instance, Jumia suspended delivery of all fashion items in South Africa last month. Poignonnec has also admitted to challenges being faced with fulfilling orders particularly for products sourced from China.
Then there are also concerns over the sustainability of the company’s reliance on groceries as an anchor for sales. “It’s not a very profitable vertical for a general merchandise e-commerce platform without specialized value chain for groceries,” says Laolu Sameul-Biyi, former financial analyst at Jumia. For his part, Poignonnec hopes that ongoing consumer adoption amid the outbreak “will accelerate the long-term shift to e-commerce” among local users.
Given the short-term boon amid a lack of options for customers, “the main question is whether or not this trend will stick in a post-COVID era,” Bayen says. For Taboure however, it’s up to e-commerce companies to ensure that answer is affirmative by solving problems around ease of use and building trust. “If it’s not easy to buy online [then] we need to find solutions,” he says.
The documentary gives insight into the four-year journey of her Dakar-based label Tongoro and highlights the importance of local craftsmanship on the continent.
In her new documentary, Made In Africa, designer and creative director Sarah Diouf, shares an intimate look into the journey of her celebrated Senegalese fashion label Tongoro.
Since its launch four years ago, Tongoro has graced runways across major cities, and been sported by international stars, the likes of Burna Boy, Iman and Beyoncé.Diouf is quick to note, however, that its success isn’t merely tied to her own personal achievement—her dream is to help transform Africa’s design clothing industry as a whole, and there’s still much work to be done on that front.
The 30-minute documentary includes footage of Tongoro’s design and production process in Dakar and provides valuable insight for aspiring designers. Diouf, who also narrates the film, champions community involvement and local craftsmanship across the continent. She makes a case for respecting tradition and acknowledging the contributions to African-made clothing to the global fashion landscape.
The documentary marks the brand’s fourth anniversary, which coincides with Africa Day on May 25. Watch Made In Africa in full below, and read our conversation with the designer underneath, in which she discusses the growth of her brand, the importance of supporting locally-made clothes, and her dream for the future of African fashion.
Amsterdam-based brand Daily Paper and Belgian accessory brand KOMONO have come together for the duo’s first-ever collaboration, introducing a line of contemporary Kenyatta sunglasses.
Retrofuturistic Kenyatta Sunglasses Collections
These unisex sunglasses are retrofuturistic in their design and come in a range of fitting colors include black, tortoise and “Racing Red.” The frame is squared with rounded edges, housing the large, “Dark Smoke”-tinted and 100 percent UV protected ovular lenses inside, while the arms are equally chunky and angular in approach.
Silver-plated “DAILYPAPER” branding in either silver or a gold-tone graces both arms, while on the inside of the arm you’ll find information that details where they were made.
To celebrate the release of the inaugural eyewear collaboration, Daily Paper and KOMONO’s campaign reinterprets the glasses through Daily Paper’s futuristic lens. It delivers a study of highly-contrasted, boldly-colored photographs that pack plenty shadows and sharp lines.
Retrofuturistic Kenyatta Eye-wear
The collaborative collection of sunglasses drops on May 15 for $160 apiece at both brands’ storefronts, on the Daily Paper and KOMONO websites, and select retailers worldwide. Check out the three Kenyatta sunglasses in the galleries above.
Art Direction: Beri Dalgali And Dennis Schreuder Make-Up: Anita Jolles Hair Stylist: Bianca Van Zwieten Model: Ottawa Kwami And Akon Changkou
Meet the Ugandan Fashion Designer who styled East Africa’s Got Talent stars Larry Casual, run by bespoke designer, Larry Mukooza is well on the way to becoming the very biggest original/tailor fashion brand in Uganda
Larry Casual, a Ugandan luxury label is celebrating the modern African men with their latest campaign.
“The modern African man is a lover of all things bright, bold and colourful. Those are some of the elements we used to piece this collection together,”
offers Mukooza Martin Larry, the creative director of the brand. With a careful balance of both bright and muted looks, they catered to all men, the conservative one inclusive. “You’ll see a pink suit, and wonder, will an African man wear it?
I’ll say the African man has evolved, he isn’t afraid of wearing a nice suit because it’s pink in colour,” he explains. “But, then again, if it is too bright, you still have a myriad of other options to choose from.” The campaign features an offering of suits; the traditional ones being a perfect choice for grooms, while kaftan suits cater to the wedding guests. “Our wedding culture is changing guests draw just as much attention as the couple whose day they’ve converged to celebrate.”
“We’re offering this modern male guest a befitting outfit to match his taste and class.” “The Larry Casual man is unapologetically African. This, is his way of standing out,” he adds.
The Kampala-based fashion brand, which was founded in 2016, is famous for its tailored to fit suits. Their pieces are simple, but extra, impactful but not loud. The impact being in their clean finishing and detail. “It’s more than just clothing, it’s an experience!”
Kaijuka Abbas, owner, and proprietor of Kai’s Divo Collection is the creative force behind some of the best-dressed celebrities from Bettina Tiana and Malaika Nnyanzi to Winnie Nwagi and Maurice Kirya.
He was named the Best Designer of the Year at the Men’s Fashion Week Nigeria 2019 which took place from the 28th to 29th November 2019 at the Royal Oak Event Center in Lagos.
Kai’s Divo Collection is a Ugandan fashion brand renowned for its unique take on style.
In this chat, Abbas Kaijuka, the creative director of the brand, shares his inspiration for the collection.
What was the starting point for this collection?
This collection was about everything we think men shouldn’t wear. It was birthed out of a conversation I had had with some of my male clients. They were wondering what would happen if I gave them some of our signature dramatic styles to wear.
Men usually come to me for conventional menswear pieces such as suits. Yet, if you’ve been following my brand right from our early days, you know that I’m a rebel when it comes to menswear. In my world, menswear should be more fun and expressive.
Putting the collection together was easy, I worked with most of the fabrics that I usually work with for women’s wear and married some of the styles together, to create a collection that’s bordering gender-neutral.
We see a lot of tulle on pants and jackets, these are soft fabrics usually seen in women’swear.
What was your thought process making men wear tulle?
My work allows me the opportunity to interface with lots of people, both men and women. From my experience, men are way softer than women. You can measure someone’s strength by the number risks they are willing to take. Men are not risk takers when it comes to style. I wanted to showcase the level of risk taking men ought to be at.
We also see a lot of capes, what was the idea behind these?
I’ve always been fascinated by capes. They are the wings that make superheroes such as Superman and Batman fly. In a cape, I see men who are out there saving the planet.
These are generally edgy looks for men. What’s your take on men getting adventurous with shapes and detail?
Like I said, I’d like men to be more adventurous. I’d like men to take more risks. It doesn’t hurt to think out of the usual box.
Kai’s Divo collection
Credits Model: Akram Sempala (signed to @jorammodelmanagement) Photos by @banjiphoto Onset assistants: Isaac Baboki/ Thomas Verk Shot on location at Camouflage
Sudanese Model, Nyakim Gatwech is the latest in the Guinness Book of Records,Nyakim is known for her naturally dark skin color and has been nicknamed the Queen of the Dark, Nyakim has faced self-esteem issues and comments from people who promote bleaching to lighten skin color, but learned to embrace her beauty and pigmentation with love and support from her fans.
While millions of women across the globe are paying the high price for bleaching, Nyakim Gatwech got recognized by the Guinness book of World records for having the darkest skin tone on earth.
The model has graced covers of countless magazines as her alluring and uniquely black yet divine skin tone redefines the very definition of beauty, Nyakim has set the standard for many African ladies who have felt insecure about their different skin tones and whenever she walks the red carpet or runway, she commands the attention of everyone and steals the moment without an apology.
Nyakim Gatwech is best known as a Model. Model known as Queen of the Dark who found acclaim with her distinctive dark complexion. She was born on January 27, 1993 in Sudan. Another model named Shaun Ross shattered beauty expectations in the world of fashion with his skin pigment. She has faced discrimination for her skin since moving to the United States.
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She is one of the successful African Model , She has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on January 27, 1993. She is one of the Richest Model who was born in Sudan.According to Trending Celebs Now, Nyakim Gatwech’s estimated Net Worth, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & much more details has been updated below. Let’s check, How Rich is Nyakim Gatwech in 2020?
Estimated Net Worth in 2019
$1 Million – $5 Million (Approx.)
Previous Year’s Net Worth (2018)
$100,000 – $1 Million
Annual Salary
Under Review.
Income Source
Primary Income source Model (profession).
According to Boredpanda, African model and fashion icon, who now lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Nyakim Gatwech she proud and not shame about her melanin, and she makes sure the world is aware. She once said while captioning one of her photos on Instagram that her Chocolate is elegant and she represents a nation of warriors.
Content courtesy of Nairobi fashion hub Digital Team
Thirty-two-year-old Gambian economist Marie Ba used to buy most of her clothes online from British fashion retailer ASOS. But when she wanted to update her closet with some tailored wax print African dresses, she took a chance ordering through Ghana’s KIKI Clothing platform.
“I was looking for something well designed and fitted, and it’s lovely to support brands based in West Africa, while looking quite unique in their pieces,” she says.
Online revenues for the African fashion sector are predicted to grow by over 14% annually over the next four years.
Within five working days the clothes were delivered by DHL from Accra, to her door in Gambia’s largest city, Serekunda. And Ba became part of a growing ecosystem of fashionistas purchasing their clothes within the expanding African e-fashion market.
African fashion has revelled in tremendous media interest recently. Beyoncé helped propel Senegalese designer Sarah Diouf’s Tongoro brand to international fame when the singer wore a patterned dress and wide-leg pants on holiday last year. Naomi Campbell and Alicia Keys are other megastars spotted wearing African-designed clothes.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s clothing and footwear market is worth $31bn, according to Euromonitor. The growth has prompted the expansion of foreign and local brands into the African clothing market. Companies are fulfilling increasing orders from the African diaspora, particularly in Europe and America, while sales of Ankara gowns and African print dresses are also popular among non-African consumers. This has led to the creation of African-based e-fashion platforms.
“We export African culture no matter where you are,” says Malian-born Moulaye Tabouré, the CEO of Afrikrea, an online marketplace that allows users to sell African clothing to over 100 countries. The Abidjan-based tech startup secured an additional $1m funding round in February, money Tabouré says will allow the business to grow its developer team, and expand its mobile technology and marketplace.
The company boasts a minimalist and user-friendly website, and says 5000 designers use its platform. These designers build an online “shop” with digital tools provided by Afrikrea. They then set the prices and communicate directly with customers, who are able to stagger their payments.
Afrikrea then deducts a commission of 10-15% per sale, and says it has facilitated over 4m sales since the company’s 2016 inception. The biggest market is the US, followed by France and the rest of the EU.
“Our target is to get the infrastructure growing, so we get at least 50% of our sellers from Africa,” says Tabouré. “The idea is to get people in Africa to say, ‘Maybe this is the best place to set up my business.’ But the biggest issue is to be able to organise, and sustain the growth.”
E-commerce in sub-Saharan Africa is in its nascent stage but it’s showing enormous potential as smartphones proliferate across one of the world’s youngest and fastest-growing populations.
A 2017 report by Statista estimated the e-commerce sector in Africa generated $16.5bn in revenue that year. The research firm currently predicts that revenue in the sector will reach $27.7bn in 2020 and rise to $47bn by 2024.
Online growth is being driven by the under-35s. Rubab Abdoolla, senior analyst of beauty and fashion at Euromonitor, says the e-commerce sector is being driven by “the increasing number of working mothers who are being supported by rapid adaptation to internet retailing”.
The wider African e-commerce landscape is being pushed by sales in fashion. Statista predicts revenue at $8.3bn in 2020 and projects an annual growth rate of 14.2% between 2020 and 2024. But this expanding e-fashion market faces major challenges.
Overcoming challenges
West Africa is a major cotton-growing region, but its textile industry struggles to compete with cheap clothes made in Asia. Since the 1980s, most of Africa’s textile industries have been wiped out and a generation of skilled workers have been lost.
Textile manufacturing in the region is estimated to have fallen by more than 75% in that time. Transporting clothing within the continent and beyond can be problematic, with expensive export costs and border difficulties.
“The number one business constraint I have is definitely the customs,” says Tabouré. “If African governments would realise the potential of having free trade between African countries, and facilitating customs for people shipping outside of Africa – especially with Europe – then there would be an extremely good advantage.
“In the US, we have an agreement [the US’s African Growth and Opportunity Act] that allows us to ship without customs up to $700. If we could have the same agreement with Europe, then that would change the game.”
These challenges are not stopping self-taught Ghanaian designer Felicia Parker. The Afrikrea user is able to sell her La Mode Afrique brand of kente cloth styles and other items to a growing customer base in London, Paris and elsewhere on the continent.
“When an order is placed, DHL will come to pick up the clothing from my door, and take it to most places in the world,” she says.
“The internet has made it really easy for anyone to purchase whatever designs they want, in the comfort of their home and workplace In the next five years, I hope I’ll have a big factory here in Ghana, and shop branches worldwide, that are full of African print fashion.”
“I don’t dress up for women, so why in the hell would I need to learn how to dress to attract women?” is what some of you are probably thinking. You like to dress casually. Jeans and sneakers. Even on dates with women you want to attract. You’re getting a lot of slack on your dress code. And you’re wondering why. Here’s why?
If you’re looking to attract high-quality women into your life, then a phenomenal sense of style is definitely the first major step. And contrary to what you may believe, Kenyan women have very high standards. Higher than most out there.
When she first lays her eyes on you, all she has to guide her decision making is your sense of style. That split second first impression will determine her level of attraction for you. And nothing screams “a quality man ahead!” more than a well thought out fashion sense.
So how do you ensure you dress to attract women? It’s easy. Ensure you have a few basics right.
Color scheme
Armed yourself a basic knowledge of neutral colors, your skin tone, and how these two aspects can be paired with stronger colors to make it all pop. There are 4 neutral colors.
Grey
Black
White
Tan
These colors can be worn with any other colors dependent on your skin tone. Essentially their neutral nature allows them to match perfectly with other bold colors. So for example. grey goes very well with red. It also goes well with blue. What you match it with will depend on your skin tone.
As a rule of thumb, go for some contrast with your dress code. The more light-skinned you are, the darker the shade of clothing. And vice versa.
That one statement piece
Every gentleman should always have that one luxurious statement piece. It could be an Italian fabric dinner jacket. Or a sweet pair of brogues. Maybe even be a high-end Tom Ford fragrance. It doesn’t matter.
All that matters is that it’s a unique standout piece that is not common in any way.
The 3 major advantages of a statement piece are:
They can be great conversation starters at functions, social events, and dates.
They tend to leave a powerful lasting impression on the women in question. You’ll linger in their thoughts long after the two of you have parted.
Because they are so powerful at creating attraction in women, they tend to bring back old flames. They do so by turning you into an entirely new you. As highlighted below.
https://youtu.be/GgaDW0zJ6bM
There you have it. A brief guide on how to dress to attract Kenyan women.
Joy Yamusangie and Ronan Mckenzie Embrace Movement Through Mythology, The artists discuss “WATA,” their new film exploring African ancestral myths and the power of community.
Photographer Ronan Mckenzie and mixed-media artist Joy Yamusangie have always bonded over an instinctual connection to the color blue. Both London-based, they continually crossed paths in the city’s creative circles, finding themselves drawn to each other’s work. Soon conversation gave way to collaboration trading artworks, photographs, films, and music revealed another shared fascination: water.
They discussed the importance of “looking back to those who came before”, and eventually Yamusangie suggested they take a look at the story of Mami Wata, an old ancestral myth rooted in traditions of the African diaspora. It became a point of entry for this film, made in partnership with Gucci. WATA, Yamusangie explains, is centered on “the stories that we have heard and how those stories directly reflect us and our lives, as people and as artists.”
Mami Wata is a water spirit, who according to lore is often seen carrying expensive baubles like combs, watches, and coins. Her most prized object is a mirror, which serves as a conduit for time travel, movement from the present into the future. Those who gaze into this mirror are magically empowered to manifest their deepest desires.
“Opening in deep blue, our film introduces the dynamic between ‘Mami Wata’ and ‘The Musician’, who is enticed by Mami Wata’s jewels,” says Mckenzie. While working on the film, both artists were thrilled to learn more about how their storytelling practices intersect, knowing already that they shared similar “sensitive tendencies toward color,” explains Yamusangie, whose paintings informed some of the scene compositions.
The two thought a great deal about how they might translate the force of water visually. They decided to cast a crew of dancers, “Wata Souls”, to bring the element to life. They worked with Abdourahman Nije, a choreographer whose passionate, pulsating approach to movement helped them communicate as a unified force. There was plenty of rehearsal, but on the day of the shoot Nije invited them to “forget everything they’ve learned, and just let it flow.”
“What intrigued us most were the stories people told after interacting with Mami Wata, claiming to have experienced improved health and increased wealth. We were interested in the ‘disappearance chapter’ where no-one seemed to know exactly what had happened, just that their lives were somewhat better after the interaction,” says Yamusangie.
They interpreted this “disappearance chapter” as “a dream and confrontation,” with previous generations as Yamusangie puts it, adding “for us, these moments symbolize a respectful regard for our origins and ancestry, they are us accepting these histories and using them as a means for connecting with each other. [It is] a celebration and appreciation of our rich culture and African heritage, our freedom of experimentation, our lives in London.”
Both directors were delighted to see how much this story resonated with the rest of their team, especially music supervisor Melo-Zed, who alongside Roxanne Tataei, Birame Seck and Boofti composed an original score for the film. It’s about “us sharing and connecting with those around us, and enjoying creating newness inspired by what’s passed,” says Yamusangie.
They felt truly aligned after hearing “the horns, the elongated introductions, the rhythm switches and how the music didn’t adhere to a set structure but created its own,” shares Mckenzie, describing a logic that drives every aspect of the film. “Everyone had their own personal interpretations and connections, creating their own small stories within the larger one.” Their ultimate accomplishment was creating space for community, says Yamusangie. “It was more than just a collaboration between the two of us.”
The hope is that WATA will be the first of many shared projects; they are currently developing a joint exhibition featuring their respective mediums. “Collaborating in this way being artists from completely different practices has allowed us to learn about each other’s processes.” Even though, as Yamusangie says, they’ve “always translated our intent in contrasting ways,” they enjoyed negotiating those differences and discovering their similarities.
Mckenzie agrees, adding “We’ve allowed the knowledge within our respective fields to flow between us and bond to create this moving image art piece that we feel represents us both in strength and in equality. Our film is about appreciation, communication and sharing, and our collaboration is a testament to the very bones of what makes up WATA.”
Credit
Written & Directed by Joy Yamusangie and Ronan Mckenzie Produced by Julie Vergez Cinematography by Beatriz Sastre Movement Direction by Abdourahman Nije Talents Rudzani Moleya as ‘Mami Wata’, Abdourahman Nije as ‘The Musician’, Alison Letang, Andre Atangana, Jordan Clarke, Kirk Reid, Miranda Chambers, Prince & Majesty, Treasure Iyamu as ‘Wata Souls, Guest Appearances by Roxanne Tataei, Melo-Zed & Boofti Music Supervision by Melo-Zed Music Composition & Production Melo-Zed, Roxanne Tataei Vocalists Biram Seck, Roxanne Tataei Saxophonist Boofti Casting Tytiah Blake / Unit-C Styling & Costume Design Tess Herbert Production Design Sophie Durham Make-Up Artist Megumi Matsuno Hair Stylists Shamara Roper, Russie Miessi Editor Maxim Young Colourist Jason Wallis at Electric Theatre Company Post-Producer at Electric Theatre Company Oliver Whitworth VFX Artist Gaspar Matheron (Les Fistons), Alexandra Verhaest, Stefan Wähner Post-Producer at Les Fistons Arthur De Seze First Assistant Director Elle Lotherington Third Assistant Director Jens Klit Nielsen Production Coordinator Ayesha McMahon Production Assistants Ourania Mamalis, Mantenso Kotomah Runner Yasmin Tippett Steadicam Andrew Bainbridge Focus Puller JJ Sullivan Clapper-Loader Ashton Born Gaffer Joe Sherno Sparks Jovan Lawrence, Jon Prentice Spark Trainees George Wright, Shaun Witherup Grip Nick Teulon Grip Trainee Bradley Sinclair Wardrobe Assistants Lulu Bullock, Stephanie Aelbrecht Assistant Art Directors Alexander Scott, David Murray, James Findlay Make-Up Assistants Lisa Chau, Juri Nakayama, Manabu Nobuoka Hair Stylist Assistant Shanice Buckley Production Company Cadence Paris Executive Producer Carole Guenebeaud Production Coordinator Alice Du Lac Production Company Julie Machin LTD
Getting inspiration from the recent don’t rush challenge? King Sidney decided to do a unique rendition of their own.
As usual, they didn’t follow the rules and tried to make it as creative as possible.
The entrepreneur slips in and out of different designer jacket outfits. He uses his pocket square to transition between each outfit. He does so with some swag. And very calmly bounces to the mellow, yet perfectly-fitting Lil Wayne soundtrack in the back.
Here it is. The entrepreneur Kenyan men’s edition of the popular don’t rush challenge.
David Avido Ochieng was born and raised in Kibera, Nairobi. As the firstborn in a family raised by a single mum, he had to take responsibility early. Dropping out of school, because money was short, he started to work long hours – without any hope that his paycheck will ever be enough to support his three siblings and mother the way they deserve.
Frustrated, he quit his jobs and reflected on what he wants from life and what is holding him back. Was it Kibera? People have strong opinions on this place, but most of them have never come here. Avido never felt that coming from Kibera was something to be sorry for. The opposite was the case. Kibera inspired him.
“There is no barrier,if you believe in your talent and take the next step, I want to encourageand create beauty,where people don’t expect.” ~ David Avido ~
This awareness is what started the lookslike avido story in 2017, when Avido decided to sew stage outfits for his dance crew himself. Through finishing his fashion & design diploma at Buruburu Institute of Fine Arts, he developed a solid skill set to grow as a designer. He took it from there and started expressing his message through crafting handmade pieces in Kibera.
By word of mouth, a diverse set of people in Nairobi soon got to know the designer and tailor with his iconic straw hat. Ruven came on board a German, who came to Nairobi to work and explore the city’s scene of creatives and start-ups. Cooperations with international musicians followed and lookslike avido received attention from Kenyan and international media.
Cologne in Germany became the service and distribution centre for lookslike avido fashion in Europe. The city celebrates diversity, is a centre for creative industries and a great location to reach people all over Europe and world wide.
David Avido Imapact on his Community
Our goal is to localize our sourcing to the maximum and become 100% organic, By becoming part of the lookslike avido-story, you make Kibera proud and create opportunities: We currently hire 12 local tailors (7 female, 5 male) on assignment basis. Fair remunerations are self-evident. Permanent employment is our goal, including pension payments and health insurance
We are part of the community
Schoolfees for 10 pupils in 2019: lookslike avido supports young students
13 school uniforms in 2019: lookslike avido provides school uniforms to kids that can’t afford them
150 youths mentored (2019): Youths want to know more about David Avido. We engage in mentoring youths from neighbourhoods like Kibera, to help them focus on their talents
3 compound cleaning activities (2019): We regularly organize compound cleaning activities to make Kibera a cleaner place
100% of our fabric is used. All left-overs are processed to shopper bags or donated to tailoring classes in the area
Our packaging and logistics in Europe are climate-neutral. We use recycled materials, where possible. You won’t find plastic in your LLA-box
100% of our profit is re-invested into localizing the value chain
Content courtesy of Lookslike Avido & Nairobi fashion hub
