High fashion designed with kitenge and kikoi

Eva Rogo-Levenez is one Kenyan fashion designer who has put her elegant Ler Ligisa designs onto catwalks on three continents.

“There’s Europe,” said the Paris-based designer and managing director of Ler Ligisa fashions who’s lived in France for more than 20 years, “Then there’s North America,” she said. Eva recently displayed her designs during the last New York Fashion Week where she received exceptional reviews from the city’s fashion gurus.

“And then of course, there is Africa and specifically Kenya where I just organised my ‘Back to the Roots’ fashion showcase at Alliance Francaise.”

Admitting that she found it harder to put together a fashion show in Kenya than she had in Paris where facilities are more accessible, Eva said she practically put last Saturday’s fashion show together ‘single-handedly’ apart from working with Moses Mukiibi, managing director of Strut It Afrika, who provided lovely, lean and lanky models.

It was a serious challenge, she confessed, but the show itself went so well she said the labour was worth it.

“Many of my old friends were away when I arrived in Nairobi, but I was still determined to share my designs with fellow Kenyans,” said Eva adding she promotes Kenya while living overseas.

Her love for Kenya is manifest, she said, in her decision to only use Kenyan textiles in latest fashion line.

“I brought all my patterns from Paris and worked closely with a Kenyan tailor with whom I cut out my designs using kitenge and kikoi. That’s one reason why I called my show ‘Back to the Roots’.”

The only outfit that wasn’t made with Kenyan textiles was the chiffon wedding gown that she stitched together with lovely Kikoi cloth to enhance the elegance of the gown’s strapless bodice. The dress was the show-stopper of the night.

Eva’s designs included kitenge and kikoi pants and slim-line skirts with matching jackets. She also had full length kikoi skirts with contrasting suka-like capes with matching Maasai bead necklaces that were also show-stealing, distinctly Kenyan in design.

Eva is taking her Kenyan fashions back to Paris where she intends to put them on the global fashion map. In her mind, that won’t be difficult since she already has followings in New York and Paris.

“But I also wanted to establish myself on the Nairobi fashion scene since I know there is a lot of local talent, both in terms of designers and tailors [or seamstresses] as well as among models who have the potential to be international ‘top models’ starting right here in Kenya.”