Kenyans test limits at the Fashion Week

A bold statement by Kenyan designers at the just ended Kenya Worldwide Fashion Week (previously Kenya Fashion Week) is a fair comment after the display at Tribe Hotel.

Under the rain and on a wet runway, designers from India, South Africa and West Africa shared parade with local designers, providing an opportunity to test oneself.

Kenyans have have always played it safe on the runway, giving the market what it is asking for instead of showing the way. But this time it was different, something akin to biting the bullet. It was not about creativity, but showing clothes and accessories available elsewhere.

However, that night, one of the collections by a younger designer —Cladi Designs — was inspired by flowers and the outcome was daring. It featured bigger-than-life accessories that would have not been on the runway a few years ago.

After two years of not showing at fashion show, John Kaveke’s comeback cemented his position as the one of Kenya’s top menswear fashion designers.

In about 15 shapes, the collection featured tunics, some with heavy embroidery, slim-fit trousers and jackets for occasions and casual wear. Using subtle African mofit dark fabric, the collection was a sign that the bright African print is no longer in trend.

Majority of the collections that night showed the local designers stayed away from the African print. They recognised that the market was tired of the African print; a progress on their part to heed to market demands without losing identity.

West Africans did not use the print that is originally from that region. Joan Ibuzo of House of Marie and Ejiro Amos-Tafiri, both from Nigeria, through their collections, paid homage to the latest fashion infatuation that is lace. The former used tie and dye as well.

Their designs featured jumpsuits and peplum. Lace being a feminine fabric, their collections were an extreme celebration of the female form and style.

However, the kanga can never seem to be forgotten. The Madafu Moxie from Kenya collection had kanga details sewn in long straight-cut plain coloured culottes. The fashion label does not follow trends, according to the host of that night, instead it looks for inspiration in nature and using recycled materials.

The lessons

What can fashion designers learn from the Indian designer that showed that day?

Mandira Bedi collection was saris, the traditional wear for Indian women. The designs were simple, without much embroidery or shine, but were colourful. She took traditional wear and made it her own by using colour combinations of red, green and gold and laces along the borders.

Traditional wear can be a great source of inspiration and shows signs of resilience. Following trends is the turf of South Africans as shown by Paledi Segapo’s collection of wild beauty, plenty of animal (leopard) print.

Models walking in some of the popular James Bond theme songs like Goldfinger by Shirley Bassey and Skyfall by Adele, the elegance of his jackets, dresses and gowns was unblemished. The cuts were up-to-date in terms of cut, the womenswear featured mid-riff exposure.

South Africa’s Spero Villioti showed how a designer can pick a theme or inspiration. Inspired by Hollywood in the 1930s, his form-fitting gowns had intricate bead work, fringes and folds in gold and lace.

The entire collection, even the two wedding gowns, did not step out of that glamorous era. It is something some of the Kenyan designers are yet to master.

Many people are now shifting and looking for designers that know how to balance international trends and keeping to their own brand identify. The marketplace is getting sophisticated and Kenyan designers, it seems, are starting to meet the expectations.

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