Three global designers bring a new kind of cool

Twice a year, the Tribal Gallery in Nairobi’s Loresho transforms from being a home for contemporary art and artifacts, into a cosmopolitan fashion centre.

Last Saturday, the gallery welcomed fashion designers to display some of their favourite items, which Tribal Gallery’s owner Louise Paterson described as an iconic brand pop-up.

The designers shared the space with Louise’s carpets, cushions, and other exotic home interior items that were also displayed downstairs.

“We’ll be having La Oculta from Colombia, Ra by Rushina, Deepa Dosaja and the Bush Princess, all from Kenya,” she told BDLife ahead of the Saturday show.

All four brands have a global character featuring both Kenyan and international elements in their collections. Elegant leather handbags are Bush Princess’s specialty, according to the brand’s co-founder Charlotte Lefebvre. Charlotte and her designer husband Anthony launched the brand in Kenya in 2011.

“Prior to our coming here 15 years ago, we lived in Paris where we had three shops, all of which were selling our bags,” says Charlotte whose husband is French while she is Swedish.

“We had visited Kenya before we decided to move here. We fell in love with the country,” she adds.

Blending Kenyan leather and especially suede with Maasai beadwork, Charlotte got the idea to set up Bush Princess after meeting a group of Maasai women with whom she now works with.

“We work with a tannery in Athi River, and then I bring the beads to the women who create their own designs,” she adds.

Her latest collection of suede bags is called ‘Capsule 1 collection’. The bags come in various sizes, each with a convenient shoulder strap that is decorated in beautiful Maasai beadwork that matches the colour of the suede.

Some are tan-like, the original colour of the leather, others are sky blue, or olive green. The bags range from Sh15,000 to over Sh20,000.

The Bush Princess has a shop in Nairobi’s Karen in the House of Treasures, stocking over 30 different collections by Charlotte.

Rushina Behal, the founder of Ra by Rushina, showcased a collection of gowns and dresses. They were chic-casual and free-flowing.

Many of them were made with pearly white Belgian linen, but she also had a variety of other colour dresses made out of cotton that come from Thailand or silks that she brings from India.

Rushina was born in Kenya and studied fashion design and textiles in the UK at Brighton University. She stayed in London for several years, working for a variety of designers and consulting with others.

When she returned to Kenya four years ago, it took her a while to figure out how to best utilise her knowledge and experience.

But ever since she started up Ra by Rushina, the brand has attracted attention from women who love the casual yet elegant look and clothes that can easily be dressed up or down.

Other designers who brought their clothes were Catalina Puerta Hoyos, a Colombian and the founder of La Oculta and Deepa Dosaja.

Catalina’s free-flowing cotton ponchos and one-piece pantaloons were at the pop-up store.