The fashion industry in Kenya is taking everyone by storm- stories have been told and articles written of the various fashion shows that have taken place and that continue to take place in the capital; Nairobi. Designers like Kiko Romeo, Voshali Mojaria, Lucy Rao and Rachel Mutindi Maithya and Fashion Houses like Rialto and K2 Fashions have groomed baldness and talent to present ensembles inspired by nature, Kenya’s culture and Kenya’s animals. Materials unique to Kenya have also been used; the khanga, the kyondo and the kikoi take special credit.

Rachel Mutindi Maithya’s is one success story from the budding Fashion Industry in Kenya.  Hers is the simple story that started with a girl falling in love with the sewing machine at a very tender age. She landed various positions in the industry after designing only for herself and her daughter. She then traveled to Italy with her designs and they all made quick sales. She met a number of personalities and the question of luck or fate not being a major concern, her designs showcased at a fair in Paris and she now produces and supplies to two stores in Europe!

The distinct cultures in Kenya, especially the way of dressing of the various communities, have contributed largely to the growth of its fashion industry; the lesos of the Coastal Province have inspired most of Rachel’s designs and they’re now also used to make ladies’ blouses, loose pants, simple hats and dress-tops.

Some of the designs are also incorporated into Maasai sandals sold at the Maasai market that’s a mobile market conducted on specific days, such as Saturdays, in Nairobi’s Central Business District. These brilliant ideas have resulted in the uniqueness of clothing lines that are now being shared in Africa and beyond. The items of clothing used by the Maasai have also been modified to produce great designs. The Maasai is a community of Kenyans who have refused to let go of the various aspects of their culture despite the day and age.

They have strived to maintain what they believe is theirs; their way of dressing, their livestock, their rituals and rites and their jewellery. They have earned Kenya, as a whole, great heritage; their beads and hip and neck ornaments give some of Kenya’s designs that great sovereign national touch.

Kenyans and the Kenyan designers derive great pride in showcasing their designs on runways in Nairobi and in other major cities in Kenya, but that is not all. These designs are made available in stores in these cities and they grace many other occasions; celebrity events, different social gatherings and weddings; today, couples are running far away from the traditional white gown and seeking more memorable outfits, a good example being Nameless and Wahu, one of Kenya’s celebrity couples.

Kenya’s designs have also been worn on the local red carpets, for example, the music awards held over the years. The contestants of the Tusker Project Fame musical talent search have also been dressed more than once by Kenya’s designers and the upcoming MTV Mama Awards will be a good platform for designers just joining the industry and for those tried and tested.

A more specific cause that Kenya fashion supports is the FAFA, Festival for Africa Fashion and Arts, which came into the scene in 2008 during the post-election violence which took place in Kenya. The creation of FAFA was inspired by the need to showcase the immense depth of talent and sophistication within the African continent in the fashion, music and the arts industries empowering people from all communities to come together as a call for peace and generating positive energy, creativity and solidarity in the face of adversity.

The Kenyan national competition, Redds Africa Fashion Design Awards (RAFDA), is also putting budding Kenyan designers on the continent’s fashion platform. The finalists over the past have had an opportunity for mentorship by Rialto Fashion, Johari Designs of OJ Hakim, and Fundi Frank’s fashion label. This is a great example of nurturing budding talent.

Stores and malls that stock these designs include Yaya Centre in which Kiko Romeo has a boutique, the Village Market, the Imani House of Fashion and the Sarit Centre.

For national benefits and in order to support the huge strides the fashion industry is making, reviving the Kenya Fashion Week would be fantastic in making Nairobi the capital of fashion in Africa; so make your wedding memorably different, be the centre of attraction at an event- explore Africa’s nature, its hospitable people, and Africa’s acute test for a different kind of clothes; be a part of this great revolution in East African fashion.