Tag: made in rwanda

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.

‘Change the narrative’

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.”

Content courtesy of AFP and Nairobi Fashion Hub 

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