Rising Designers and Brands in Kenya
Our fashion scene has witnessed the rise of talented designers who have been able to make their mark both locally & globally. Names like Adele Dejak, Muhoho Kenyatta, Ted Josiah and many others have continued to push boundaries, redefine Kenya’s fashion sense, and captivate fashion enthusiasts all around the world. Kenya’s fashion industry boasts several highly acclaimed fashion brands and designers who have earned recognition both nationally and globally.
These designers have re-imagined traditional fabrics fusing them with foreign designs and modern silhouettes, resulting in captivating mix of patterns and colors that create a sense of energy and vibrance. Below are some of fashion brands and designers in Kenya who are exploring and taking Kenyan fashion identity to a global stage.
The diversity of Kenyan Fashion and Brands.
Shop Zetu was created in 2020, as a multi-brand, multi-vendor online fashion marketplace for affordable and trendy fashion, footwear, beauty, and accessory brands. Catering to Women, Men & Kids; they are particularly excited to carry a large range of global as well as African-owned brands and are always looking for new brands to bring onto the platform.
This collection serves as the first part of a continuing series that looks to explore the Swahili and their forgotten parts. To understand through art and fashion the influence they had over the continent and the rest of the globe and to unpack the level of advancement of their civilization and how from holding such a vital role in trade and the interaction of peoples globally, they came to have much of their history silenced.
Akinyi was born second in a family of six children in Rang’ala village, Siaya county. She was a creative child whose heart was in everything arts in school, from dancing to drama to basketball. She, however, felt like no one understood her because she tended to be interested in unconventional things like drawing and painting.
El Afrique is a Kenyan fashion and design brand listed on Beyonce.com under her Black Parade that deals in bespoke and ready-made African Print & quality fabric merchandise ranging from women’s attire, bags and accessories. They offer a vast range of chic, elegant and time-correct pieces for both the retail and corporate market for a variety of occasions including: client appreciation gifts, traditional weddings, themed events, work wear, travel and everyday-comfort pieces.
Zuri Kenya firmly believes that sustainable economies develop from businesses that operate fairly and ethically and create products that people want. Having spent a combined decade in Nairobi, they’ve seen how much both corruption and aid can distort markets, resulting in wasted resources and unsustainable livelihoods. They hope that by paying fair wages, sourcing locally, and making a product that their customers truly love, will be help to support a long-term, sustainable economy in Kenya.
It all starts with bales of Mitumba which they first sort and prep. Silk and leather are always interesting finds, but their favorite pick has to be the ever enduring denim and corduroy. Next, they deconstruct what they have found, taking it out of its current form and offering it a new one. Finally, they meticulously rebuild, in an expanding range of styles fit for modern mind workers, creators, multihyphenates, creatives, freelancers, solopreneurs, and digital nomads.
“They (bags) are a very big part of our journey. I had to learn on how to bag my emotions, I had to learn on how to deal with life and deal with a 3 month old who has now become a whole human being with her own opinion and takes over the whole place”, Ted Josiah the founder. Their Bags are about giving opportunity to Kenyans and showing that industrialism is a possibility, building SME’s to scale is possible. This can be achieved in this country and legacy companies can be grown.
SOKO Kenya is an ethical clothing manufacturer in Kenya that has spent the over 14 years scaling an organization that puts people, communities and life at the heart of everything they do. They have always believed in equality and quality of life for all, and that with these values at their core, they can produce quality garments which improve the quality of life for employees and customers alike.
Kipato Unbranded is a social enterprise in Kenya that collaborates with local artists, promoting their talents and skills and giving them access to markets. The artists get a fair share in any profits made from their jewelry, whether sold locally or internationally. Kipato Unbranded is about beauty and unique designs, they create jewelry that is inspired by everyday people and for everyday people. Their pieces are made from local materials that include brass, recycled bone and beads.
AD is home to luxurious African-inspired jewelry, handcrafted in the heart of Kenya. With an ethos, a design language and aesthetic, a style and a movement that connects our past, present and future. Their design aesthetic is a strong African Heritage, reinterpreted into modern/contemporary, at times minimal, brand-new shapes.
Akiba studios is a Streetwear and lifestyle brand based in Nairobi, Kenya. It was founded in 2020 and it brings a multidisciplinary visual art through mediums traverse, collage art, illustration, painting, fashion and film. Akiba studios finds its own voice by landing in the middle of bespoke and ready to wear graphic pieces rooted in streetwear. Akiba studios focuses on simple yet powerful designs and a driven to create new African narratives by portraying an aesthetic that is uniquely their own.
This is a magical power possessed by stylish clothing that makes you feel like you can conquer the world while also doing good for others. Example: “I put on my new fit from Kenya and suddenly I felt the luku coursing through my veins! Time to take on the day with confidence.”