Xeadar and Ramah win it for Brenda Nambi at Mr Price launch

Its official, Bossini and Mr Price have set up shop at Acacia Mall. The unveiling took place last night. It was all about lights, cameras and high fashion for the guests and models that hit the runway. The event was not your usual fashion show given that fashion designers, Brenda Nambi, Brenda Maraka and Rafael Kasule were tasked to style a selection of models using outfits from the two stores. Joram Muzira of Joram Model Management (JMM) took care of the models and the overall coordination of the event. In the end the three judges Morris Mugisha a former representative for Uganda in Big Brother Africa, model and photographer, Sylvia Owori-an entrepreneur and legendary fashion designer on the Ugandan market plus Jeddidah Thotho the Retail Director at Deacons Kenya chose Brenda Nambi as the eventual winner of the challenge. Nambi walked away with the cash prize of 4 million shillings. Second place was Rafael who took 2.5 million shillings. I felt like all the designers did a great job but there could have been only one winner. The models could have made the difference. Brenda Nambi had a dangerous combination of Xeadar and Ramah plus the lovely Anna and Knowel. Everything they put on looked fabulous. The other guys like Jaypee, Keith or beautiful Milcah, Vanquisha and Vivian are all top models but perhaps the combination of Xeadar and Ramah was too much for the judges. At the end of the day fashion won and that is what matters most. Below are some random shots from the event. I will be sharing more soon.

Ramah and Xeadar

Brenda Nambi (C) receives her dummy cheque

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Bark cloth for international runways

Designer Stella Atal paints on a piece of bark cloth

Last Thursday, the Uganda National Museum hosted a one of a kind fashion show. The pieces were partly or fully made out bark cloth (lubugo) by José Mendo. At the event, fashion designers based here and abroad hatched a plan to make bark cloth one of the mainstream fabrics on and off the runway. The Bark 2 The Roots programme is a brain child of Josephine Kyomuhendo, a UK- based fashion designer who label José Hendo has been featured on fashion shows in Europe, the New York Fashion Week and recently Kampala Fashion Week. The project is a collaboration with Makerere University School of Fine Artist, fashion designers like Stella Atal,Eva Mynsberghe and Anne Musisi among others. The idea is to bring together researchers, makers, designers, education institutions and buyers (promoting production and export) among other stakeholders to promote the environmental friendly, sustainable and renewable material that bark cloth is. Some designers showcased how the material from the mutuba tree can be used as fabric for clothing and decorated with patterns or mixed with other textiles, while Mynsberghe showcased how she is using the material to make jewelry. José Hendo showed the potential of bark cloth and how it can be maneuvered during designing. Her haute couture avant-garde designs showcased on that day showed how the material can become a global trend. She explained that she is using explosion of colours plus silhouettes and patterns that that can be embraced by the young generation. That way, bark can move forward but keep its heritage.

Jose Hendo (R) demonstrates bark cloth manipulation

The event partly put together by activist Winnie Sseruma also brought together fashion lovers of different generations and eco-sustainable designers. Bark cloth was the only form of fabric way back before textiles like cotton, nylon, and polyester among others pushed it out and left it for the coffin. This project could end the stigma attached to it and put it at the same level with the likes of leather, silk and other fabrics.