Fashion designer weaves Western style on kanga wear

She draws inspiration from both local and international designers such as Anne McCreath of KikoRomeo, Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel, Toni Maticevski, Jean Paul Gaultier and Issey Miyake.

Ms Migwi has no regrets turning down a job as a quality controller at one of the Export Processing Zones in Athi River in 2001 after completion of a fashion design course at Evelyn College of Design in Nairobi.

Ready to showcase

Her decision to further her studies in Australia for three more years is bearing fruits.

With the international exposure and the two years she has spent in Kenya studying the market and get feedback on her style and work, make the necessary adjustment judging by the people’s reactions, she says she is ready to showcase her works in events like FAFA (Festival for African Fashion and Arts) unlike last year.

She says she needed to build the confidence before putting her stuff out there.

“You need to show your designs when people already know you. You do not need to showcase to strangers, at least you need 10 per cent of the people at the show knowing who you are,” she says.
She is using her name—Diana Migwi— in her collections for now as she works on getting the right fashion name that will suit the brand she is building.

mwikalilati@gmail.com