Monday 1st of June 2026

Nairobi, Kenya

Tag: Fashion Designer

Mafi Handcrafted Designs From Ethiopia

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Founded in 2011 by Mahlet Afework, Mafi Mafi relies on traditional Ethiopian fabrics and techniques for its contemporary designs.

Mafi, one of Ethiopia’s most recognized designers won a contest organized by Creative Futures. Known to work with exclusively hand woven fabrics, Mafi as a winner of the competition  showcased her work at the Hub of Africa 2017, an event that showcases the works of well know as well as up and coming fashion designers,

The competition was juried by Waridi Schrobsdorff, Founder and CEO Fashion Africa 254, Sara Maino, Senior Editor Vogue Italia and Head of Vogue Talents and Julia Sattler, Director Goethe-Institut Addis Abeba.

Mafi’s ability to use only traditional materials while at the same time making it appeal to the modern women and the fact that she has already developed her own signature for her work is one of the reasons she won the contest.

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Haute Baso

Posted on by Ann Mumbi

Haute Baso recognized the potential of young women by offering them training and employment an investment which results in skill development at a fair wage and within a safe environment.

Collaboration through design and production with talented artisans to create high quality “Made in Rwanda” apparel, accessories and home decor pieces enables preservation of traditional craftsmanship.

To this end, Haute Baso took part in co-design sessions with Springs partner San Francisco-based fuse project, and engaging Girl Hub Rwanda, to construct a professional training program for 15-21 year old young women in 2015.

Most of the women working with Haute Baso are the sole breadwinners of their households; therefore, this partnership enables them to feed, educate, and provide healthcare for their loved ones and ultimately reduce the long-term cycle of poverty.
The brand was established in March 2014 by two Rwandan designers with four female artisans and has since grown to collaborations with 275 artisans, 202 of the artisans being women.

I Ami Doshi Shah

Posted on by Ann Mumbi

Ami Doshi Shah is a trained jewellery and silversmith, having gained a BA in Jewellery and Silver smithing from the Birmingham School of Art & Design in the UK in 2001.

She is the recipient of the The Goldsmiths’ Award for Best Design (Apprentice trainee) in 2001. Upon graduating, she completed jewellery apprenticeship program mes in Mumbai and Jaipur, India.

In 2013, Shah established the eponymous design label, I AM I, which marked her return to the design world after a 12-year hiatus, during which she worked with multinational advertising agencies in Nairobi and London. Shah’s love for Kenya and its human and natural beauty is a constant source of inspiration for her creative endeavors.

She sources materials locally and uses her technical training to work with the elements in unexpected ways, bringing her artistic sensibilities to her label. Speaking about the pulls of her heritage with Daily Nation Kenya the designer said: “As a Kenyan of Indian origin, I am quite heavily influenced by both cultures. Kenya, when it comes to the scale of adornment and India when it comes to the detailing.”

Best Dress at the Red Carpet SAMA 2018

Posted on by Ann Mumbi

This past Saturday, the 24th annual South African Music Awards took place in Sun City and it was indeed a spectacle.  Somizi Mhlongo, Dineo Ranaka and Mpho Popps were the charismatic hosts for the evening, making the awards ceremony one to remember. As excited as we were to see which artists walked away with awards, we were also glued to the screen to see who brought the most sass to the red carpet.

Nadia Nakai
Nadia gets the number one spot simply because she redefined sexy and added a regal touch to it. The sheer fabric, embroidery in all the right places, and the somewhat dramatic train stole the show. Her styling team did an amazing job with this Anita Ferreira gown. In a subtle way, the bleached hair toned down the look.

Boity Thulo
TV presenter Boity was the definition of sultry, serving a very high slit gown by South African designer Orapeleng Modutle.
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Exclusive Interview With Isabel Nyamgero Designer behind Iss By Iss Studio

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Kenyan designer Isabel Nyamgero, creative director at iss by iss studio share her journey as a fashion and jewelry designer read her full interview inspiration and challenges she face as a designer.

Brief introduction about issa by issa

Isabel Nyamgero: It’s actually iss by iss  iss….  Iss….. which mean it simply simple but iss  iss being me many of my friend call me iss iss I decided to name  it iss by iss so a brief on my company is I started around 2010 but the company was registered in 2011 and I stared by doing jewelry,

I will do jewelry because growing up I liked doing stich book my father has and my mother  stich a sewing machine in the house sewing machine , I liked doing dresses I want to make and look nice ,then I start doing that’s was when I was in high school when I left iss tried to do jewel I will do jewel so that’s what i started doing mainly for sale.

around 2010 so I will do it what I used to do was custom made I used to do bespoke,  my friend she is a designer when she would have to do an outfit for her client  I would go for the meeting and we decide on and will help her decide on if a client want jewelry I would design a piece     for the neck, jewelry.

that’s how I started small small but then continuing through the years I started gaining interest on other things and I have also through the years the same 2011 I got into Theatrical production where I did wardrobe mistressing, a chief stern, I was doing commercials, I did mostly movies Leo. Shattered them. ,I went to do  edit Shuga and in 2012 I did a 1 year shoot with m-net  called corner that is another thing that I started doing and I got a last walk   and  doing costumes as well.

I would get one or two, I have a client who her daughters and sons are in Aghakan academy they normally do these costumes so she normally contracts me I think the time I did and I did tomato basically my company has different arms I have jewelry, I do the costuming, costuming for the tv production, a normal costume, a pregnancy kit, and then I also do my company has different lengths there is a line I have I do it is called refarb,

it is when your wardrobe you have old styled outfit and you want them look better or you want a different modern style so I add something and do something like add something to make it look modern or just have a different twist.

And then I have also what i have started this year I am getting into It is called a blog, a blog where I talk about myths I don’t say myths or lies and want to call them myths or lies let me say it’s like things that the world has insisted on designs or fashion or let me call them myths of fashion things like why do we wear black in weddings is this what we know now or standard thing or this is mystifying fashion.

That is  among the things I want to start this year basically that is me in a nutshell ,that is what I am or if you ask me about the company that is the company and if you ask me about Isabel I pride myself as a distractor.

I  am industry distractor meaning I have worked with different people and in different  industries, when they need,  different twist in their companies what I do I do a different twist in the company you used to doing things like this but what niche do you want in your company or in the market I am able to advise that is the other thing I used to do with clothes, friends , or companies that that is me now that is Isabella and the other is the company. I don’t know if I have explained to you what is a nutshell.

What inspired your fashion Journey?

Isabel Nyamgero:  What inspired me in my fashion journey, when I started it came when I was a child I  used to love flashy things, making things, then I was fortunate that in the house we had a machine and when I was in form three and four I did home science in school  so I had the knowledge but actually I don’t think i had the support because everyone would go like Isabella I am an industrial chemist by academics.

I didn’t do fashion I am a scientist, so  I was better in sciences when I was in school my sciences were always at the top i  did A levels  and then joined campus and did industrial chemist I was always top in my sciences so in a normal world people who told no Isabella scientist make more money.

they didn’t see it as a design you will be told,” why do you want to be a tailor,” am like is not being a tailor I always wanted something better I will have my dress I will not like it I will take a fabric and add something I want to take a fabric and make a skirt that looks different I grew up not liking normal ,
common I always wanted something different  I think that is where my passion came from,

I always wanted something different despite that the world kept pushing me to science which i still did i came out of it saying no… no… no… so to date I have never worked in any company or any industrial chemistry we work in industries,labs.

apart from my attachment when  I was in school for my internship but after that I am not and even every time go for an interview unless I go because someone has insisted I go and has an obligation and someone has been contacted in the company but my heart always want something different I think that is what design is that is what a creation is.

it started with my mum she would tell me this top looks nice you can make a skirt to go with it I think that is where my drive comes from.

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Iss By Iss Studio

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Who is Iss Simply Simple and Just iss 

Iss by Iss was founded in 2011 by Isabel Nyamgero Kenyan born, a graduate with a background in Industrial Chemistry but because of her love for design she ventured into the creative industry.
She prides herself as an industry disruptor, seeking to change the perception of the design world.

Some Collection from Iss By Iss Studio 

Iss by Iss inspiration
Africa is rich starting right from the continent itself; its people, their culture, their style, their craftsmanship, its landscape and most especially its vast resources which we as a company use generously and innovatively to produce our products.
Ignoring this beauty would be doing Africa an injustice.

What they do
Iss by Iss has exposure and experience in costume and accessory design. Costuming for tv production companies from movies, soap operas, to tv commercials. Styling as well for individual projects and customized outfits for groups.

Designing is a specialty, customizing clients wants and needs on to fabric, paper, services, homes, pretty much accessorizing their needs.

Iss by Iss Vision
We See a world where design is not only what we see on television, or what other people dictate, but what you as individual contribute to your own sphere and the world around you.

Mission and Statement
To realize the full potential of the creative industry, changing the outlook of the world to see Africa for what it is; a resourceful, innovative, beautiful, Naturalistic, Promising, Desirable, dependent continent. Preserving the environment and reaching out to less vulnerable groups giving them a better desire for life.

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Tikovah Clothing Creative Director talks about her fashion Journey and How she was inspired By Art

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Nigerian designer, Ihenatu Kodlinye Mike Creative Director, at Tikovah Clothing shares her journey into fashion as she prepares to showcase at Africa Fashion Week Nigeria 2018

What inspired your fashion journey?
Tikovah Clothing: Growing up as a child I used to see my mom and grandma make clothes with portable sewing machines, I was always fascinated at the process of converting a plain fabric to bespoke and hot couture outfits.

Art also inspired my fashion journey; I appreciate Art so much to the extent that everything I do has to have aesthetics and creativity written over it, I was always keen to make something. I selected my clothes, picked out my shoes, styled my mom’s hair a lot- I still do (laughs), and played with her jewelries too. My mom and dad played a profound role in my journey, my mom has this big wardrobe filled clothes , jewelries and what not, so I used to play dress up too ,while my dad never failed to buy the really good and pretty stuff to help augment my fashion flair

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Up close With Talansi L.R. Adriana Designer from Congo

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Congolese designer, Adriana Talansi’s dream became reality in 2014 when she launched her first collection “Simple and Sublime” in Angola. She remains inspiring young ladies in her home country to follow their dreams especially in the fashion world by breaking barriers most designers in Congo have not dared to. Her fashion house TALANSI has become a fast rising fashion brand in Congo
Talansi L.R. Adriana she is the Creative Director of Talansi Fashion House she will showcase her “Identity” Collection at AFWN2018.

Some of Talansi Adriana Collection 

What inspired your fashion journey?
Adriana Talansi: Fashion and fashion design have always been in me since I was very young around 9 years old I think I realized my first fashion drawings

What has been your challenge as a designer in Africa?
Adriana Talansi: Trying to change the vision of people who are used to traditional cuts and make them discover African Haute Couture.

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Meet Zimbabwean Designer Tanaka Chinogureyi,Creative Director,Claire Albert

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Claire Albert is a high-end women’s couture clothing brand that was established by Zimbabwean designer Tanaka, who has always had a passion for fashion and bringing up the industry in her country. The label custom designs and tailor makes women’s garments for all occasions and ensures that every woman looks elegant, sophisticated and sexy, these being the main values of Claire Albert.

What inspired your fashion journey?
Claire Albert:  I have always wanted to be a Fashion designer since i was a young girl and my desire for elegant apparel led me to creating a clothing label that focuses on designs that are elegant and sophisticated while staying Fashion forward.

What has been your challenge as a designer in Africa?
Claire Albert: My first creation was inspired by Indian Fashion. Colorful images with gold accessories excited me to design a red and gold gown which I called the Claire Albert because it spoke everything that i wanted my brand to be, elegance, sophistication and edge.

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Interview with Michelle Arowoshola from Nigeria

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

We got the opportunity to have exclusive Fashion Interview with Michelle Arowoshola from Nigeria she will be among top designer who will showcase their brand during Africa Fashion week Nigeria.

Local by Michelle Arowoshola is an innovative high-end/high street brand for both male and females, the clothing styles have elements of sportswear, some tailoring and are mostly ready to wear pieces, the print on the fabric makes it unique in style because of the originality of the design which is designed in house, The styles also reflect black culture within the UK and Nigeria and aims to encourage people from all ethnic backgrounds to embrace their culture and to see culture as something to be valued and celebrated in addition fashionable.


Its founder, Michelle Arowoshola’s love for fashion spanned from her interest in art and textiles..

What inspired your fashion journey?

Michelle Arowoshola: My fashion journey was inspired by my interest for art throughout the years this interest had filtered into a broader interest for design both graphic, textiles, and 3D art, which finally developed into a focus on fashion design.

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History Of Met Gala

Posted on by Ann Mumbi

Officially, it’s the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute benefit, a black-tie extravaganza held the first Monday in May to raise money for the Costume Institute (a.k.a. the fashion department).

Unofficially, the night’s festivities have been called many things, including “the party of the year,” “the Oscars of the East Coast” (mostly because of the star quotient and the elaborate red carpet, where guests pose on the grand entrance stairs to the museum) and, somewhat pointedly, “an A.T.M. for the Met,” the last by the publicist Paul Wilmot.

The party signals the opening of the Costume Institute’s annual blockbuster show, and it is known for its celebrity and fashion hosts. This year the exhibition is “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” and the hosts are Anna Wintour (the magical manipulative Wizard of Oz for this particular event), Rihanna (who has a starring role in the coming Met Gala heist movie, “Ocean’s 8”), Donatella Versace (because her brother Gianni had a thing about Catholic iconography) and Amal Clooney (because … well, who doesn’t want to stand in a receiving line with Amal Clooney?).

Stephen A. Schwarzman, a founder of Blackstone, and his wife, Christine, are honorary chairs. They are the first people to name-sponsor a fashion exhibition since 1997. That’s a big deal. It’s also big money.

Content Courtesy Of New York Time & Nairobi Fashion Hub

The Best Dressed Celebrities on the Red Carpet at Met Gala 2018

Posted on by Ann Mumbi

Best Dress celebrites at the met gala 2018 Considering the dress code of the 2018 Met Gala was “Sunday best,” celebrating a Catholicism-themed exhibit, Monday night’s celebrity-packed red carpet could’ve gone wrong in a million ways.
Yet, for all the sacrilegious naked dresses or culturally inappropriate couture that the event’s A-list attendees could’ve worn to the event, the majority of this year’s Met Gala looks hit the mark, making for a revelatory night of saintly fashion.
From Lena Waithe’s instantly-iconic LGBTQ flag cape to the many angels, popes and renaissance artworks that walked the carpet, these were the best fashions of the 2018 Met Gala.

Rihanna
Rih has always been a Met Gala show-stopper, and considering Anna Wintour tapped her as one of the celebrity hosts of this year’s event, her look was bound to be a success. And it was, with the singer opting for a Margiela-designed papal crown and cape.

Lena Waithe
With a suit and cape by Carolina Herrera, Waithe re-imagined the night’s theme as a way to celebrate a community that hasn’t historically been recognized by the church, a fashion choice both cheekily transgressive and triumphant. Plus, it was a look that Vogue icon and cape enthusiast André Leon Talley had to love.

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