Kampala Fashion Week lands with a bang

The first edition of the Kampala Fashion Week took place last week with the grand finale on Saturday night at Kololo ceremonial grounds. To say that designers pulled all stops at the event, a brainchild of Gloria Wavamunno, would be an understatement.

The nine fashion designers plus the jewellery and shoes that went with their creations, made every effort to create a lasting first impression.

The event organization was impeccable thanks to LDJ Productions from New York, and this could go down in history as one of the fashion shows attended by true fashion lovers and not just wannabes.

The runway lights came on around 8:30pm and there could not have been a better way to open the show than having the winner of Africa’s Next Top Model, Aamito Stacie, showcasing a high slit and plunging V neckline dress by Kwesh (Juliana Nasasira). From then till 10pm, model after model hit the runway walking unique designs as the guests applauded.

The runway was graced by jumpsuits, florals, mind-blowing men’s wear, one-shoulder dresses, among others, made from leather, bark cloth, beads, lace and African fabric.

Ras Kasozi of Kas Wear worked with military inspired fabrics and black lace for his collection. Fringed and pointed-shoulder finishing stood out in his collection.

Sylvia Owori showcased her Safari Collection before first daughter Natasha Kainembabazi Karugire showcased her comeback collection under J&Kainembabazi.

She chose chiffon and silk in vibrant colours for her

Aamito (L) with Natasha Kainembabazi

collection, with some beading to finish some dresses in the neck area. A matching yellow hat complemented one of her yellow dresses with simple animal prints.

After a 15-minute break, Gloria Wavamunno’s collection that bordered more on the abstract graced the catwalk.

What stood out was the draping accompanying some of the designs and the use of nude colour pastels. The beautiful handmade jewellery, sandals and bags by Zanaa complemented the designs.

UK-based Jose Hendo brought the end to a fantastic night with close to 30 unique creations.

Her touch on the ready-to-wear designs made out of fabric left a lasting impression. Martha Jabo, Catherine & Sons and Eguana also showcased.

Fashion lovers are definitely looking forward to next year’s edition.

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Kampala Fashion Intro at Serena tomorrow

Fashion lovers are in for a big treat this weekend. The 2014 Kampala Fashion Intro takes place starting this evening with the climax happening tomorrow evening. All the action will be at Kampala Serena hotel. The Kampala Fashion intro is the precursor to this year’s regional fashion weeks taking place in August in Burundi and Rwanda early November.

Kampala Fashion Week will take place in November. The event is a unique opportunity for talented fashion designers, creative makeup artists, trend-setting hair stylists and stunning runway models.

On the runway, Gloria Wavamunno and Xenson will represent Uganda, while Cynthia Rupari and Patrick Muhire will represent Rwanda. Sheria Ngowi and Cynthia Munwangari will showcase designs from Tanzania and Burundi, respectively.

Great Lakes Arts Association has put the evening’s event together in partnership with LDJ productions, the producers of the New York Fashion week and Kigali Fashion Week. According to Joel Kanyamunyu, a director at Great Lakes Arts Association, guests should expect the hottest up and coming designers from Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Nigeria, and an exclusive slice of international fashion labels. Kanyamunyu also believes the event will be a trendsetter for the industry.

“This festival will obviously incorporate all aspects of the industry; the cultural, the modern, the hippy and trendy. Our anticipation is that this will be a trend-setter for the industry,” he told The Observer.

RwandAir, Serena hotel Rout and Mashanyu Media are the sponsors of the event.  Tickets go for Shs 100,000 for Gold and 200,000 for Platinum tickets The event kicks off at 8pm.

Some of the Designers Showcasing