Kigali – Matthew Rugamba knew his Rwandan fashion label had arrived when Junior Nyong’o, the brother of Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, attended the world premiere of “Black Panther” in a three-piece suit designed by him.
Hours after the glitzy event in Los Angeles, the website for Rugamba’s brand House of Tayo exploded as inquiries flooded in from around the globe for his high-end creations.
“It changed the perspective,” the 32-year-old told AFP, still stunned by the turn of events that propelled his “made-in-Rwanda” label to a Hollywood red carpet.
“For so many years we have been telling people our fashion is good… but sometimes you need moments like that to really take it to the next level,” said Rugamba, who holds dual Rwandan and British nationality.
Kigali has yet to reach the heights of Africa’s fashion hub Lagos, but the capital of the small landlocked nation of 13 million hosts its own fashion week and draws a devoted clientele, comprising wealthy locals, expatriates, members of the diaspora, and tourists.
“I like the way they tailor the clothes, the way they design their clothes, I like the simplicity of it as well,” said Emmanuel Safari, a lawyer and frequent visitor to the House of Tayo boutique located in an upscale Kigali neighborhood.
“The clothes, you put them on and you feel good!”
Some Rwandan labels have even attracted the attention of President Paul Kagame, who was pictured wearing a shirt by bespoke Kigali brand Moshions.
But what is “Kigali style”? “It pops but it’s not flashy,” according to Jean-Victor Brun, a 50-year-old Haitian-American who came to Rwanda to develop projects in new technologies. “Modern, ethnic, and rooted in the identity of our country,” says Joselyne Umutoniwase, founder of Rwanda Clothing.
Identity is at the heart of many Rwandan brands, which excel in producing bespoke clothing – drawing on a tailoring tradition that dates back decades. For instance, Umutoniwase, who employs 45 people, incorporates the geometric designs characteristic of imigongo art – a style of painting that uses cow dung and natural pigments – into her creations.
Similarly, the beadwork found on royal headdresses and other traditional items finds its way onto jacket lapels, while Rwandan shoe label Uzuri K&Y borrows from the country’s weaving traditions to create braided sandals.
The brand’s co-founder Ysolde Shimwe said young designers like her were keen to change Rwanda’s image, 27 years after the 1994 genocide killed more than 800,000 people, mainly Tutsis.
“Ten years ago when you Googled Rwanda you only saw machetes, people killing each other and hungry kids in the streets,” she told AFP.
“We as designers in Rwanda are also contributing to change the narrative of Rwanda and mostly to changing how people perceive Rwanda because we are more than that, we are more than our historical background.”
Bullish prospects
Rwanda’s fashion industry has also received a helping hand from the government, which in 2016-17 massively hiked import taxes on second-hand clothing – mainly from the US and Europe – to promote local manufacturers.
The move, which saw duties multiply more than tenfold, effectively imposed a moratorium on trade involving the sale of secondhand clothing from the West at low prices to East African consumers.
Simultaneously the government allowed designers to import fabric tax-free, giving the nascent industry a boost, said Umutoniwase.
But, with more than 80 percent of the population living in rural areas, according to the World Bank, many Rwandans cannot afford these homegrown brands. Umutoniwase, whose prices range from around 70 dollars (60 euros) for a shirt to 80 dollars (70 euros) for a dress, told AFP the small market size presented big challenges.
Moreover, the devastation wrought by the genocide has also contributed to a huge skills shortage in the country, said designer Shimwe.
“Eight years ago when we wanted to start a shoemaking brand we could not necessarily find skilled labor, there was literally nobody that had experience or had shoemaking skills,” she said.
But in a sign of the industry’s bullish growth prospects, some of the nearly 1,100 staff trained by her have since gone on to found their own labels, she said.
“It’s a great cycle that we have been able to create.”
Rolonda Rochelle is an African-American, based in Atlanta, United States of America. She is a brand ambassador and pro-aging advocate and a licensed real estate sales agent at Palmerhouse Properties, a full-service Atlanta-based residential and commercial real estate brokerage.
Rolanda’s real name is Rolanda Wright. We know very little about her family. Rolonda posted a photo on IG where she wished her dad Father’s Day.
A picture was also included, showing her father looking like Richard Roundtree. But, he was not mentioned.
According to some sources, Rolonda is currently living in Decatur Georgia. Her hometown was Atlanta, Georgia.
She might not be as famous as Nicki Minaj or Beyonce or Cardi B but her striking beauty and youthful looks hideout the fact that she is 53 years old. Rolanda Rochelle is an African American living in the United States of America.
Rolanda is a realtor, brand influencer, lifestyle and travel blogger, and a pro-aging advocate who chose to live a single life with many people imagining that she got a husband but her youthful looks and elegance come from a no husband relationship, meaning she got no stressing in her life. She recently teased her fans on tick-tock about her imaginary husband with many not getting how such a beautiful and youthful-looking 53 years Rolanda lives without having a man in her life.
Height, Diet, Distinct Features
Rolonda Rochelle is 5 feet 8 inches tall. Her distinctive features are her dark brown eyes and grey hair. And of course, her wide smile.
Rolonda, even though she was older than 50 years old, was still active and healthy. Her healthy diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables and plenty of nuts is the key to her fitness. However, she does enjoy a good glass of wine.
Rolonda was a huge social media presence as of February 2021. She was active on all major social media platforms. She had 277k Instagram followers. Similar to her Instagram page, she had 13k followers and 14k likes.
On her Instagram handle going by the name Rogirll, she shows off her beauty and proves the phrase ‘Black doesn’t crack’ fully embellishing itself in her.
Rolonda Rochelle Net Worth, Movies, Realtor
Rolonda is most well-known for her appearance on the comedy skits of Kountry. She also had her own career. Rolonda was an Atlanta realtor. She was a luxury agent in real estate.
On her Facebook page, she listed her professional information as an actress and pro-aging advocate. She was mostly known for her Instagram videos with Kountry Wayne. She didn’t have any movie credits. We don’t know what brand she was a brand ambassador.
Rolonda was a strong pro-aging advocate. Rolonda is openly accepting her age. She’s a social media celebrity who inspires others to embrace their own age without being embarrassed.
She was also a CASA volunteer. CASA volunteers are legal volunteers that are trained to fight for the rights of neglected and abandoned children.
Our sources indicate that the average base income for an Atlanta realtor was more than $76 000 per year.
Rolonda must earn around this amount, give or take. Her net worth was $800 million as of February 2021.
Rolonda Rochelle Husband, Daughter, Married
Rolonda revealed in an Instagram post that she was still single with no husband. She also shared that she has a grown-up son.
Rolonda’s video showed her talking with an imaginary husband, only to discover later that she wasn’t married and didn’t have a husband.
Rolonda also posted an Instagram photo with her daughter in which Rolonda was out protesting injustice and equality for black women.
Rolonda is most well-known for her role in Kountry’s cougar girlfriend, which she did in many of his skits.
Kejeo Designs has been turning vibrant textiles into modern styles for Western women since 2016. Now, the fashion brand is releasing its newest Holidays 2021 Collection on October 29, 2021, that founder, Sena Ahohe, created with modern, curvy women in mind.
The fashion boutique gets its name, Kejeo (Ké-Jé-O), from the word “nou kéjéo-a,” which means something looks beautiful on you in the Mina language spoken in Benin and Togo in West Africa. Kejeo Designs prides itself on bringing the beauty and vibrancy of African culture to the West with its clothing decorated with premium African print fabrics such as Ankara or Mud Cloth.
And for over five years now, Kejeo Designs has made African clothing lines for men and African clothing lines for women that inspire a sense of pride in African ancestry.
Kejeo Designs has released many colorful and beautiful collections over the years that feature clothing for men and women of all sizes and stylish accessories. But their newest drop, the Holidays 2021 Collection, has been long-awaited.
The Holidays 2021 Collection will feature size-inclusive styles for the modern woman who’s been searching high and low for fashion that compliments their shape and style!
Size-inclusive clothing doesn’t have to be boring.
And Kejeo Designs proves just that with their new collection that’s full of bold African print, feminine and classic silhouettes, and clothes that show off your curves not hide them.
Discover dresses, tops, outerwear, and more in the Holidays 2021 Collection that comes in a range of accessible prices that’ll make any woman feel confident in their skin this season.
Kejeo Designs is committed to the belief that regardless of your size, shape, or color, you deserve to wear clothing that makes you feel confident in your self-expression and feel proud of African culture. The brand plans to release more collections in the future and expand its reach. But for now, you can find their new Holidays 2021 Collection on October 29th
Content courtesy of Ein Presswire and Nairobi Fashion Hub
A girl on Twitter has created a dress made with recycled KFC packaging. The fast-food giant too responded to the amazing creation!
The post, instantly, went viral with netizens showering praises for her creativity.
With growing awareness about climate change and depleting natural resources, people are gradually adopting sustainable methods of living.
The one thing that you will find in abundance on the internet is creativity. From interesting ideas to unique fusion dishes, there’s something new to be learned or be inspired from at every scroll on your social media feed.
The concept of sustainable fashion is also increasingly gaining momentum these days. Bloggers and even citizens are trying to minimize waste and reuse their clothing in as many ways as possible, in order to do their bit for the planet.
A fashion blogger has recently gone the extra mile to make her clothing as environment-friendly as possible. The girl created a dress made with recycled packaging from the popular fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).
In a similar vein, the fashion world has also not been left untouched as sustainable fashion has begun to gain focus in the last couple of years. People are finding their own ways to blend sustainability with creativity, As such, a South African fashion designer recently took the internet by storm as she created a lovely frock dress out of recycled packaging!
Nokuzotha Ntuli left everyone amazed as she posted some pictures of herself, looking lovely in an off-shoulder dress. However, what caught everyone’s attention was the fact that the dress was made from recycled KFC packaging.
Sharing her pictures, she wrote, “Decided to make this dress for KFC from recycled KFC packages to show how much of KFC super fans we are.”
The post, instantly, went viral with netizens showering praises for her creativity. KFC South Africa, too, was left impressed as they praised the designer with a sweet comment.
“All this fresh drip, we were never ready,” they wrote. A user commented, “How in the world did you pull that one off? But wow.” “You deserve a free meal for the whole month,” another user wrote.
What do you think about this recycled dress?
Content Courtesy of Indian Express and Nairobi Fashion Hub
Ugandan fashion designer Kaijuka Abbas walked away with the award of ‘Best Fashion Brand in Africa’ award at the African Fashion Designer Awards 2021.
The African Fashion Designer Awards is a platform that aims at recognizing creative fashion designers and enthusiasts around Africa. Themed “Iconic Hall Of Fame”, the 4th edition of the awards that happened in Nigeria took place at City Park, Abuja on 19th November 2021.
The glamorous red carpet event featured exhibitions, runway showcases, cocktail, and ballet plus the anticipated awards gala-night Uganda was well represented by the talented Kaijuka Abbas whose brand Kais Divo Collection was named “The Best Fashion Brand in Africa”.
The elated Kaijuka shared the good news as he thanked his friends, fans, and followers on social media for supporting and voting for him. We bagged another one! I can’t thank you enough; each and every one of you who took the time to vote for me and make this a reality!
The Dreamiest Collection from Ugandan Fashion Brand Kai’s Divo Collections
The collection is titled Hope, a celebration of the resilience of every individual who has and still is fighting to end this pandemic. Despite the distress and job losses that came with it, we are still very hopeful that this too shall pass.
https://youtu.be/V9ol57X7TTk
The clothes symbolize a sense of joy, tranquillity, and exuberance, everything we are seeing less of now.
The virtual presentation was intended to transport the viewer back to when it was normal to walk on the red carpet in a frothy gown with adoring paparazzi flashing away.
Kaijuka Abbas worked with fabrics such as organza, latex leather, tulle, and a color palette of black, yellow, and red the national colors of Uganda.
Kais Divo Collection draped fabrics in abstract and impractical ways evidenced in the voluminous shapes and floor-grazing trails, creating some sort of fantasy.
Fashion has always been an escape from the gloom and turmoil going on around us, and this collection is doing the most to evoke positivity, and most importantly, hope that this too shall pass.
Thank you African Fashion Awards, Nigeria for honoring me with the ‘Award of best fashion Brand In Africa last night’. This wouldn’t be a reality without my clients, and everybody who has made an effort to support, endorse and approve this brand! My heart is full!
He adds the accolade to his trophies cabinet which features several other local and international awards. Congratulations Abbas!
Abbas Kaijuka is a Ugandan fashion designer, stylist, and fashion collector known for his brand Kai’s Divo.
He is a recipient of East Africa’s Male Fashion Designer of the Year award at the 2020 East Africa Fashion Awards and the Fashion Designer of the Year award at the 2016 Abryanz Style and Fashion Awards and received various nominations including the East African Designer of the year award at the 2017 Swahili Fashion Week. I had a chat with him and below is our conversation.
It was a daunting, superfluous display of pomp and pageantry at the just concluded maiden edition of the Calabar Fashion Week 2021, held at the SPAR Calabar Mall.
The event with the theme “open up a dare to dream”, began on Friday, 5th – Saturday, spanned through 6th November 2021 had haute couture, from fashion designers showcasing their creativity under the most dazzling of ambiances.
And at the center of it all is Mr. Jude Attah, the President and CEO of Phronesis Fashion World. He is said to be one of the Nigerian leading brands in the industry.
Endorsing the event, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism Development, Mr. Eric Iso Anderson, stated that the positives of the Calabar Fashion Week brand cannot be overemphasized, as first, it will serve as a healthy tourism addition to the Cross River State events calendar even as the Ministry constantly ensures that events hold all year round leading up to the peak in December.
Content courtesy of Calabar Fashion Week & Nairobi Fashion Hub
Are you a South African designer specializing in womenswear and would like to win R20,000 towards developing your SS22 Collection? Well, South African Fashion Week is looking for you.
SA Fashion Week is looking for young designers to enter the New Talent Search 2022.
Under the theme “Show Us Your Print”, designers entering the competition must create a collection using natural linen, cotton, and sustainably sourced fabrics. Among other requirements, the collection must be fur- and leather-free and include print on at least 50% of the garments.
Base your designs on 2022 world trends by combining contemporary shapes, styles, and construction with your inspiration and design talent.
Research “slow fashion” to make sure you understand it in a way that you can live it and play a role in shaping the future of sustainable fashion.
The SA Fashion Week New Talent Search is open to ladies’ wear designers whose businesses are based in South Africa.
All designer applicants must supply a minimum of one store (this can include your store or online store) and must be under 10 years in business to qualify.
Semi-finalists, based on their talent, their ability to follow the brief, and their capacity to supply more stores, will be selected by a panel of industry-leading judges.
The winner of the competition will walk away with the total prize value of R45,500.
All finalists will receive a free stand at the SS22 Trade Show, where they can do market research and sell to boutiques, department stores, and online stores.
Register online before the end of the day on January 7, 2022.
For full details on entry requirements, further instructions and deadlines, and to
SAFW NEW TALENT SEARCH COMPETITION – ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN
SHOW US YOUR PRINT
Printing has become an integral part of fashion design.
Your consumers want something different now, they want something unique.
BRIEF:
CHANGING HOW WE LOOK AT FABRIC DESIGN WITHIN FASHION DESIGN
Consider fabrics that have the least impact on the environment.
Use natural linen, cotton, and sustainably sourced fabrics.
Keep fur and leather-free.
Your design must include print on at least 50% of the garments.
Employ zero-waste cutting such as draping, knitting, or use a zero-waste pattern.
Provide consumer care instructions to increase the garment’s longevity.
Create a timeless and trans-seasonal collection.
Base your designs on 2022 world trends by combining contemporary shapes, styles, and construction with your inspiration and design talent.
Research Slow Fashion to make sure you understand it in a way that you can live it and play a role in shaping the future of Sustainable Fashion.
The SA Fashion Week New Talent Search is open to ladieswear designers whose businesses are based in South Africa. All designer applicants must supply a minimum of one store (this can include your store or online store) and must be under ten years in business to qualify to enter.
Semi-finalists, based on their talent, their ability to follow the brief, and their capacity to supply more stores, are selected by a panel of industry-leading judges.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
R20 000-00 towards developing your SS22 Collection – will be given to the winner to the April 2024 Collections
The winner will be part of the 2023 New Talent Search show one year later, valued at R12 500-00.
The winner will receive one free stand at the SAFW Designer Pop-Up, valued at R 6 000-00.
The total value of the prize: ± R45 500-00
All finalists will receive a free stand at the SS22 Trade Show, where they can do market research and sell to boutiques, departmental stores, and online stores.
ELIGIBILITY – Who may enter?
Designers who are working towards establishing their brands in the South African Creative Fashion Industry.
Designers who have not been in business for more than ten years
Designers with a fashion design diploma or degree, or five years of design experience
Previous SAFW New Talent Search Finalists may enter for a second or third time.
This is a ladieswear competition – no menswear designs will be accepted.
The competition is open to SA Citizens only.
Previous winners cannot enter again.
INSTRUCTIONS
PHASE 1
Designers must complete the online entry form on the SAFW website and download the full competition brief.
The deadline for the online registration is 17h00 on Friday the 7th of January 2022.
Designers must prepare a portfolio/storyboard no longer than 10 pages, on their brand, as well as a mood board and sketches of their 2022 Collection – 7 looks
14th January is the deadline for all electronic portfolios/storyboards to be presented
20th January – a panel of judges will view electronic portfolios submitted and select the semi-finalists
27th January – semi-finalists announcement
PHASE 2
Semi-finalists selected will have to produce a 7-look collection that must be ready for the determined fitting – date to be confirmed.
You will be notified of the fitting venue where a full collection including shoes and accessories must be presented to the judging panel for final judging.
Any collection that is not complete by then will be disqualified.
The winner will be announced at the New Talent Search showcase on the 28th of April 2022
Make sure you complete and submit this to SAFW before the end of the day on the 7th of January 2022 to secure your entry.
All material for your electronic portfolio submission must be accurately collected in a single document, in the following order:
CV/Resume presented in English
Copy of D.
Copy of your Diploma or Degree
Submit a portfolio of your label: You will find a list of questions to answer about your label below. You are welcome to add any information/visuals to enhance your
Photographs of previous collection outfits: Photographs are mandatory; your application will not be accepted without providing photographs. You may send pictures of your calico samples.
No styling is allowed – only your garments on a mannequin or model – outfits must be seen clearly from the front and from the back.
Your Collection: Comment on the concept of your collection, with material and/or images that have inspired the collection. This can also be in the form of a mood board.
Sketches of the collection:
You must submit 7 outfits/looks
Full description of how you have incorporated the brief of sustainable fashion in each look
Number all your sketches (printed/drawn in color) from 1 to 7 and label them with your name, surname, and label name.
Include complete technical descriptions with colors and fabric details (please include samples/swatches) of each sketch.
Things to bear in mind …
Your portfolio must not be longer than 10 pages (excluding seven collection sketches).
Remember to send high-quality material! Sketches, photos, anything from your portfolio could be published on the SA Fashion Week website and social networks or used in the press.
Finalists’ portfolios will remain the property of SA Fashion Week, but the intellectual property will certainly remain yours. It will in no case be returned.
QUESTIONNAIRE – THIS SHOULD BE THE INTRODUCTION TO YOUR ELECTRONIC PORTFOLIO ENTRY
Please use our points below as headings in answering the questionnaire. You are welcome to add any information/visuals to enhance your portfolio.
What is the name of your brand?
How long have you been in business?
What is your design style?
Describe your brand in no more than 150 words
Motivate your sustainability model
Where did you study?
What is your fashion background (short CV)?
Who is your target market?
What are your price points (wholesale and retail)?
Do you currently supply any stores? If yes, which stores (store name and location)?
Do you make use of social media? If yes, what are your Twitter/Instagram, etc. handles, website, and Facebook URL’s and what is your following?
Have you showcased your work before? If yes, list the year, and the season you showcased, and the platform you made use of.
Where do you see your brand going in the next 1 – 5 years and 1 – 10 years?
Your Collection Concept/Inspiration – include a comment on the concept/inspiration of your collection, with fabric and/or images that inspired the collection. This can also be in the form of a mood board.
GARMENTS ENTERED
You must submit 7 outfits/looks
The Collections registered SAFW New Talent Search, may not be submitted or associated with any other fashion competition or fashion week platform taking place in South Africa during 2021/2022
The collection must be ladieswear.
There are no prefixed styles or categories
All garments developed by finalists must be the following sizes:
To fit a standard size 34 model perfectly
Shoe sizes will only be provided, by the show coordinator once models have been selected approximately 4 weeks before the show
In case of selection, the outfits will have to be made in total accordance with the sketches and technical details presented
Correct and accurate execution of outfits is essential, and if reckoned to vary greatly from the enrolled shapes and designs, the selected contestant will be disqualified
RESPONSIBILITIES & PARTICIPATION
By enrolling in the SAFW New Talent Search, you guarantee the authorship of your project. Should you be found guilty of plagiarism, you will be automatically disqualified. SA Fashion Week takes no responsibility for accusations of plagiarism coming from third parties. The applicants will retain the copyright of the enrolled collection.
SA Fashion Week (SAFW) reserves the right to disqualify any contestant at any time if they do not respect the terms and conditions of the entry requirements. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the safety of all submissions, SAFW cannot be held responsible for any damage/theft of garments or designs that may occur during transport, selections or during the finals at SA Fashion Week. If selected as a SAFW New Talent Search finalist, contestants are required to carry out all further arrangements (transport, etc.) and other obligations timeously.
The SAFW New Talent Search is handled exclusively by SA Fashion Week CC – which reserves the right to rule on any issue pertaining to the competition and not covered by these entry requirements.
The choice of the Judges are final
Flights, accommodation, and transport will not be provided for finalists or semi-finalists. Should you not be based in Johannesburg you will have to pay for your flights to the fitting and the show.
REGISTRATION
You must register online before the end of the day on the 7th of January 2022. Follow the link: http://www.safashionweek.co.za
7th of January: Online registration closes at 17h00
14th of January: Portfolio submission deadline Electronic Portfolios to be sent to: content@safashionweek.co.za
20th of January: Portfolio judging and semi-finalist selection at SAFW
27th of January: Finalists announced
Fitting date and venue: To be confirmed
26th of April: Garment delivery – The Mall of Africa
28th of April: Final Collection (7 looks) presented during final judging – at the venue – time to be confirmed
28th of April: SA Fashion Week New Talent Search showcase and announcement of the winner
All entry portfolios must be collected from the SAFW Offices after the semi-finalists have been announced. SAFW will not be responsible for the return of any entries via post.
Content courtesy of SA Fashion Week New Talent Search showcase & Nairobi Fashion Hub
Kikafri Collections has proudly announced that it is producing and marketing the iconic African style fashion from Kenya at a global level. In early 2020, the Christian Business Angels (CBA), angel investors based in The Netherlands entered into a shareholding partnership with Kikafri Collections, which gave a new life to the brand.
The slogan of this inspiring African brand is ‘Design your piece of Africa’ and the company remains true to every word of this slogan. To grow and expand its global reach, the brand is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter, where it is welcoming generous community support and backing.
“As a brand, Kikafri Collection is aiming for global recognition by spreading our unique sense of fashion, and we emphasize individual style by enabling our clients to “design their own piece of Africa.” Said Johnny Kibilige, while introducing this project to the Kickstarter community.
The brand is not only life-changing for its customers but even more so for the skilled young Kenyans by offering them employment opportunities and enabling them to improve their lives. The covid pandemic struck hard at Kenya as well, amongst others by making most tourists, a key market for Kikafri, stay at home.
All funds raised through this Kickstarter campaign will enable the company to increase its manufacturing capacity by opening a workshop, purchasing sewing equipment, and opening a shop in the Karen shopping mall of Nairobi, Kenya.
Backers from around the world can become a part of this project by making pledges. Moreover, the goal of this Kickstarter campaign is to raise a sum of EUR 9,000 and the brand is offering a wide range of rewards for the backers with worldwide shipping. Furthermore, more details are available on the Kickstarter campaign page of the project.
Kikafri Collections (www.kikafri.com) is a Kenya-based African fashion startup aimed at producing and promoting customized African fashion to all corners of the world. From bags to sandals and other fashion articles, the product line of customized Kikafri range is extensive, and growing every day. Moreover, the company is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter to grow and expand, and to get worldwide recognition for its growing product line.
The Kickstarter Campaign
Content courtesy of Digital Journal , Kikafri & Nairobi Fashion Hub
The Style Lounge Platform launches officially for emerging designers on its website this November 2021, with emphasis on Community, Innovation, and Collaboration. It is premised on a unique and rich African culture and how growing up in a typical African setting can influence greatly a ‘creative and stylish’ African child. Themed “A Part of Me”, the Style Lounge Platform is an initiative of Debonair Afrik birthed in 2017 with a focus and commitment to building fashion brands and promoting fashion businesses.
Founder of the platform, Emmanuel Ekuban, known within the fashion fraternity as Nuel Bans shares his excitement at the launch of the Style Lounge Platform saying, “We created this platform to shine a spotlight on emerging designers in the fashion industry and provide participants with an all-new and refreshing view of fashion blending the African fashion style trends while maintaining the highest international standards of fashion.”
The platform builds a community of new and emerging fashion designers while giving them the opportunity to showcase their designs. The designer community features an appreciable number of reputable African designers like Atto Tetteh, Alwoman, Bloom by Edzi, Bushai Weave, Djoulde, Dufie Boateng, Ekua Addo, Feb By Serwaa, Groomsmen, Hazza, Kai Shika, Larry Jay Couture, MxDonna, Nuna Couture, Olooh, Sena Bryte, Steve French, Talensigh, along with their biographies, press releases, lookbooks, stockist lists and relevant links to digital showrooms, and also find latest collections, catwalk shows, shoppable links and editorial content from the designers.
The Style Lounge, since its birth in 2017 has organized 3 successful events each year from 2017 to 2019 under the Style Lounge Weekend. The annual event is aimed at bringing together fashion brands and creatives, to network and encourage emerging brands with the needed platform to market their wares.
The Style Lounge has also introduced 3 projects: the Dots Trade’, Graduate Fashion Showcase, and Design Intern Fellowship, which all serve unique purposes but are centered around fashion businesses, brands, and designers. The community works with African designers to promote local fashion talents through trade, originality, and sustainability with its flagship project: The Dots Trade’. The event creates a series of fashion exhibitions and pop-ups that seeks to strengthen the socio-economic enterprise by tapping into the fashion value chain. To join The Style Lounge Platforms community of young and emerging fashion designers,
As live fashion events made a disappearance under the Covid glare, the launch of Imandwa Fashion Collection by Rwanda’s Moshions Fashion House has relit the stage and set a blistering pace for the fashion industry.
Imandwa has also sparked debate on the critical but uncomfortable discussion surrounding gender stereotyping and masculinity and their place present traditional and contemporary society.
The November 8 and 9 showcase at Atelier, the newly re-launched space in Kimihurura, Kigali, rekindled the space that audiences knew events to be.
Easing of the pandemic-related lockdowns saw a gradual return of music concerts but Imandwa took to fashion. Of note about this collection is the bringing together of the handicraft of Moses Turahirwa of Moshions, who designs outfits inspired by traditional and ancient art and designs. Right from Umwitero, the traditional wearable robe, complimented with entwined beadwork from the Imigongo, an ancient art form, into various finishes.
Cedric Mizero of Amizero Designs sparked debate especially for his unique makes; of abstract craft inspired by life and nature themes like the environment, space, and the wild, which he believes speak to generations.
This year’s collection follows their first collaboration last year where they produced the Zero-Waste Jacket, a long-sleeved stylish unisex outfit designed from recycled remains of leftover cloths pieces.
Striking difference Unlike the typical fashion events where models graced the runways, Imandwa is a fixed exhibition, of live fashion models posing amidst traditionally crafted and preassembled fore and backgrounds, which occupy Atelier’s upper space.
A lively curated tour guide by the designers themselves takes the audience through their creations. Male models dressed in jackets, shirts, and shorts, made mostly from wool, and silk. The outfits sport partially hand-dyed baselines along with the trousers. To add sparkle, they are ornamented with tailored hand-beaded embroidery of traditionally shaped craft. The outfit is supplemented with the Umwitero, a light silky robe that is wrapped from the shoulder, chest to waist.
The showcase is backed by well-crafted traditional sets, of a different make. One has bean ornaments, another stands amidst hundreds of bricks. Yet another in between clay pottery, while the last two models emerge from what seems like a grass-thatched African village hut.
Gender stereotypes Imandwa brings to fore tradition. Even in their past collections, there has been a running theme to address gender stereotyping, with masculinity at the fore.
The male models, clad in African masks designed to emulate Rwandan faces of Amasunzu, an ancient hairstyle, emerge from the background and stand. For a few minutes, they look straight up, then slowly take off the mask, pose a little more before returning to their hideouts or safe spaces.
Content courtesy of East African & Nairobi Fashion Hub
Clothing, especially from fast fashion, is a major contributor to global warming and pollution. Mountains of discarded garments end up in West Africa. The $2.7-trillion fashion industry is one of the largest, most resource-intensive sectors in the global economy, and it has a devastating impact on our environment.
The extraordinary success of “fast fashion” giants like H&M, Zara, and Forever 21 stems from their ability to produce a massive amount of clothing billions of garments a year in the cheapest and quickest manner possible. An article of clothing often travels through dozens of countries and hundreds of hands and ends up being worn only a few times.
Consider the statistics:
A single cotton shirt or ‘eco-friendly’ cloth grocery bag requires 2,700 liters of water to produce.
The fashion industry produces approximately one-third of all microplastics found in the ocean.
Global cotton production is estimated to produce 220 million tons of CO2 emissions each year. Experts say the industry accounts for 10% of greenhouse gas emissions. Workers mostly women earn low wages.
The average consumer buys 60% more clothing than 15 years ago.
Fast-fashion choices are ending up in landfills.
These numbers, as dire as they are, account for only the production half of the story.
What happens when these clothes are no longer of use or no longer “in style”? The Council for Textile Recycling reports that the average American throws away between 70 and 81 pounds (30-36 kg) of clothing and other textiles annually. Globally, 17 million tonnes of clothes go to landfills mostly in the Global South.
Although many people believe that donating clothes is environmentally friendly, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 84% of all clothing eventually ended up in landfills or incinerators in 2012, even if they were donated. Not only are fast-fashion choices of the Global North ending up in landfills, but they are also often traveling thousands of miles and creating tonnes of CO2 to get there.
Ghana in West Africa is a common dumping ground.
A common dumping ground for discarded and unwanted cheap clothing is in West Africa. Accra, the capital of Ghana, receives approximately 15 million used garments per week, or 70 tonnes per day, of which approximately 40% are of such low quality they go immediately to the landfill.
The remainder is sent to be sold in one of the largest garment markets in West Africa Kantamanto Market. It is important to note that Accra’s landfills are already almost entirely full, and the country is struggling with its own internal waste management issues.
In Ghana, about 12,710 tons of solid waste is generated every day, and only 10% of that is collected and disposed of at designated dumping sites. Waste pickers who spend the day picking trash and managing the landfill’s recycling and sorting work under dangerous conditions. They account for a significant portion of the recyclables sorting and waste management in Ghana.
Johnson Doe, President of the Kpone Landfill Waste Pickers Association, is one of the hundreds of waste pickers who spend their days in Accra’s largest landfills. He sorts trash and pulls recyclables from the massive mountains of garbage. He also spends time training and organizing waste pickers to demand fair wages and healthcare.
“In Ghana, there is no law that guides waste pickers,” Doe said. “The recycling of waste, the management of waste, we know a lot. So we decided to organize ourselves seven years ago. We want to be recognized by the community, recognized by the government, and we want to be involved in the decision-making to protect ourselves.”
Doe said it is difficult to sort so much fabric. “Clothing waste is one of the major problems we faced at the landfill because it takes more space and when it is mixed up with the waste, we find it difficult to find and salvage the recyclables.”
Our clothing choices are no longer sustainable for the environment.
The garment markets in Accra are feeling the impact of too many clothes. According to OR Foundation, which has been studying Kantamanto Market for more than a decade, “the Global North is relying on Ghana to take part in a waste management strategy necessitated by relentless overproduction and overconsumption.”
Although many citizens in Accra rely on these clothing distribution sites for income, the broader impact on the community and the country is significant. The overflowing landfills pollute water supplies, produce constant smoke, and generate risky, low-wage jobs.
“This isn’t sustainable anymore,” said Dr. Katherine Duffy, a senior lecturer at Glasgow University. “The most sustainable clothes that we have are the ones we already own. If we can start thinking about care, maintenance, longevity, and how we treat those garments, then we are already starting to think in a more sustainable fashion.”
Duffy recommended ways to think differently about clothing. “Consumers at the moment have so much readily available information about the problems associated with high demand for new clothing, combined with the global trend of the ever-decreasing lifespan of garments and also the environment and social impact of those behaviors,” she said
“But I’m also excited by some of the new behaviors that are starting to emerge. We need to focus on the four ‘R’s’ repair, resale, reuse, and rental. These options are really a way for us to think about how we engage with our items as well as the care and attention we want to place on the garment and how we can preserve it for its next life.”
The fast fashion industry has boomed tremendously in recent years – with Western countries leading the world in consumption and secondhand clothing exports, which are clogging developing countries and landfills with used clothing.
Fast fashion aims to provide consumers with cheap, fashionable garments that are produced quickly and up-to-date on high-fashion trends, often at the expense of laborers and the environment. While social media has certainly accelerated the trend cycle and given consumers increased access to low-priced, fleeting clothing, American overconsumption is not a new fad. It’s been around for decades, and it’s been inching the world closer to irreversible climate damage as Americans donate their clothing and buy more at increasing rates.
A major point of contention at the United Nations Climate Conference which comes to an end on Friday in Glasgow, Scotland – is the divide between wealthy and developing countries. And just as there is an increasing divide between countries that became rich from fossil fuels powering their economies and poor countries being told those fuels are now too dangerous for the planet, the fast fashion industry is exposing a chasm between wealthy countries exporting used clothing and developing countries becoming textile dumping grounds.
Currently, the U.S. leads the world in secondhand clothing exports. In 2018, the U.S. exported nearly 719 million kilograms (1.58 billion pounds) in secondhand clothing, over 200 million kg higher than its runner-up, Germany. These exports end up in secondhand markets around the world, particularly in the Global South, and often at a rate and volume higher than its recipients can handle.
This problem is especially pronounced across Africa, which counts six of the top 20 countries for secondhand clothing imports – Kenya, Angola, Tunisia, Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda – and South Asia, where Pakistan and India receive the highest and second-highest volume of secondhand clothes worldwide.
Specifically in Africa, secondhand clothing from Western countries clogs local markets and landfills. The textiles travel from retail secondhand stores to private third parties and containers and are eventually sold to overseas entities, which upcycle or revamp the clothes before reselling them according to Sarah Bibbey, the co-founder and acting director of Make Fashion Clean, a non-profit organization working to make denim consumption more sustainable globally.
In Ghana, these clothes which are called Obroni Wawu in the Akan language, or “Dead White Man’s Clothes” are purchased in bales by market traders who do not know what is in them for $25 to $500 each before being repaired and revamped as necessary and eventually making their way to Ghanian secondhand markets. However, the increasingly poor quality of fast fashion clothing makes it difficult for upcycles (people who revamp and recycle used clothing) to give these clothes a new life, forcing them to be discarded at landfills which, in turn, has detrimental impacts on the local environment.
“Our landfills (in the U.S.) are equipped in such a way that they can process chemicals and they can kind of be contained whereas in other countries, including Ghana, it’s not the same level of infrastructure around the landfill,” Bibbey noted.
In terms of deciding where the clothes go after Americans discard them, power dynamics and colonial histories play a role in where secondhand clothes are diverted to.
“Any country that is […] a formerly colonized country, or country that’s not a global superpower, is going to be more vulnerable to clothing dumping in general,” Bibbey said. “So any country that we know of is going to be more vulnerable to that just because the political power that they have in the global arena is not the same as the political power the U.S. has in the global arena – so that’s the most important thing, I think.”
While resistance to Western clothing dumping has taken root in East Africa, the U.S. has leveraged its global influence and financial aid to ensure that it can still export secondhand clothes to African markets.
In 2017, the East African countries of Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Burundi tried to phase out imports of secondhand clothing and shoes because of the way they undermined domestic efforts to develop their own textile industries. The countries sought to ban these imports entirely by 2019.
However, in March of 2017, the Office of the United States Trade Representative threatened to remove four of these six East African countries from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, a preferential trade deal intended to lift the trade and economic growth across sub-Saharan Africa. Burundi and South Sudan had already been expelled from the trade deal under accusations of state violence.
A combination of factors makes the U.S. a hotbed for fast fashion consumption above consumers in other wealthy countries. While Americans of all income levels contribute to the fast-fashion crisis, Charlotte Tate – the Labor Justice Campaigns director for Green America, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that promotes ethical consumption points to America’s model of capitalism and wage stagnation as some of the factors driving American overconsumption.
“I think one thing that’s unique to American capitalism is how much we prioritize working to make more money and then you have more money to spend,” she said. “And another factor to consider is fast fashion is much cheaper than higher-quality goods. When you look at wages over the past few decades, they’ve really stagnated. And as Americans have become more productive, the wealth of productivity hasn’t been distributed evenly. In that case, you know, it would be really challenging if you’re not making enough money to make ends meet to then also buy higher quality clothes.”
But consumers that don’t have the means to buy higher-quality goods are not the only group lining up at fast fashion stores. Americans of all income levels consume fast fashion, and higher-priced clothes don’t necessarily equate to more sustainably, ethically produced clothes.
Bibbey also highlights the culture around clothing donations as part of what fuels overconsumption and clothing dumping in the U.S., as consumers buy too much with the idea of being able to donate their clothes later.
“People might hear that their clothes ended up somewhere and they might think that that’s always 100% a good thing, just because there’s that mindset of American saviorism that we have here,” Bibbey said. “We get the idea that that’s a good thing, even when we see in reality it’s putting local artisans and local clothing makers out of business because they’re competing in a sense with this influx of secondhand clothes.”
But Tate says that American consumers are not the principal blame for the fast-fashion dumping crisis.
“I think that corporations know that they’re producing cheap clothing that won’t last long and that often can’t be reused – and they’ve known it for a while,” she said. “So I would say a bulk of the responsibility falls on corporations and our practices, and then also to some extent it would fall on our government that has the power to regulate, that maybe hasn’t.”
Because of the unique intensity at which Americans consume and dump clothes – with news reports citing a fivefold increase in the amount of clothing Americans have purchased over the past three decades and an average of only seven uses per item – the U.S. requires unique solutions to the global fast-fashion crisis.
With the U.N. Climate Conference coming to a close, coming up with solutions to these pressing environmental problems is a top priority, advocates say. And, just as the blame for this crisis cannot fall solely on consumers, environmental activists say solutions need to be sought beyond the consumer level, too.
On a smaller scale, Bibbey points to upcycling both in the U.S. and in developing countries as a way to mitigate the impacts of fast fashion on the environment, highlighting Make Fashion Clean’s partnership with the Ghana-based MFI Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to upcycling clothes in partnership with local artisans in Ghana, as an example of this. But they say the more global, overarching solutions still need to be “studied” and “examined.”
“Consumers have a lot of power, so while they’re not directly responsible for some of the problems facing society today, they do have a lot of power to change market demands and to change their shopping habits,” Tate said. “We have found that when consumers speak and reach directly to corporations, they do change their practices. Collective action is very powerful. So, if we all act and change our practices, we do have the power to reform.”
