Rwanda's creative and fashion industry started from scratch just like many sectors after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi but today, Rwandan designers are not only getting their designs on the international but they are also attracting key investments.
In August, it was revealed that Meghan Markle was looking to invest in Cesta Collective, a Rwandan handbag brand that empowers female artisans, the Duchess of Sussex pointing out that she wanted to be part of the incredible story of the women.
According to Courtney Weinblatt Fasciano, who co-founded the luxury bag company with Erin Ryder in 2018, Markle did not just invest but she was also touched by the story of women who work with Cesta to produce the bags.
The initiative is one of several that have drawn celebrity designs and brands such as US-based life and style brand Kate Spade New York to come to Rwanda and work with women to develop fashion accessories for the international market.
However, there is still a lot of untapped potential, which many believe can be explored to take Rwandan fashion to greater heights and at the same time make the industry more lucrative.
For fashion designer and businesswoman Joselyne Umutoniwase, CEO and founder of Rwanda Clothing, what has really made Rwandan fashion and designs scale the international market is mainly due to the stories tied to each brand and design.
Umutoniwase says that what was missing was designing the product and linking it to the story, but once designers like her learned how to tell their own stories and also do what they do by trying to impact their communities, people were naturally attracted to the designs.
"Sometimes it is not only about having the best or most beautiful outfit or design. It is also about the story behind that outfit and the impact you are having in the community,"
"When celebrities and global names come here and buy out products, it's not because they don't have other options, but it's because of the story behind the product, the role the product is having in rebuilding lives and the country, the women you are working with," Umutoniwase says.
The fashion designer, who owns one of the top brands in the industry today, says most of the designs that come out of Rwanda have a story attached to them, reflect the resilience of the people and also show the determination of the people.
She believes Rwanda's fashion industry still has a lot of untapped potential but says that it should start with Rwandans appreciating their own before foreigners come into the picture.
"Today we have many locally made options, which are affordable. If we can buy our own and perhaps avoid cheap knock off imports, perhaps even more people would be attracted to our designs," she says, referencing countries in West Africa, where people put their own local designs above everything else.
What is more unique with most Rwandan fashion brands is that they work with vulnerable groups, such as women who head households, widows, genocide survivors or even teen mothers, whose lives are transformed by the brands they work with.
Asterie Hitimana, founder of Twinkle by Asty Fashion House says unlocking the international market fully will take Rwandan fashion houses collaborating more with international fashion event organisers who put together global fashion shows to platform Rwandan designs.
"I think what we need is quite a bit of promotion, working with event organisers to give us an opportunity to showcase our work. Previously, we've done that and we got good mileage when we partnered with Miss Universe in 2019," Hitimana says.
"When such an opportunity comes up, we are featured in such big events, people see what we can do and they don't just buy for us but they also partner with us and invest. The same comes to be done here when we have big events," she says.
Her views are shared by Olivier Niyitanga, commonly known as Tanga, the face behind Tanga Designs. Tanga says that, with more platforms such as sports events and big concerts happening in the country, there is more opportunity to showcase Rwandan designs on the global stage.
"I think what is needed are initiatives which encourage people to wear Rwandan designs when we have international concerts and other events, especially those under the 'Visit Rwanda' brand," says Tanga.
"If we encourage people to wear locally made designs that are glamorous, extra and creative, perhaps we would see more people wearing our designs,"
"I also think that it is important that whenever foreign celebrities come here, institutions like RDB, RCB and 'Visit Rwanda' can encourage them to check out local fashion houses and designs," Tanga says, adding that events such as 'Kwita Izina' can also be a platform for local designers.
Currently, he says there are still some challenges, regarding the cost of fabrics, majority of which have to be imported, pointing out that taxes on fabrics make the cost of the final product costlier for locals.
Cutting imports
Apart from the fabrics which are mainly imported, Joseph Ngoga, Production Manager, Afriek, a cross-cultural fashion brand focusing on ethical and sustainable fashion made in Rwanda using organic cotton, says that, for Rwandan designers to continue making a cut on the international market, there is a need to minimise production costs.
"We need to have our own organic materials. For example, in our work, we need pure organic cotton, which has not been put in chemicals. Many of the designers would love to have their own raw material like cotton, straight from the garden and they start from that but we don't have it here,"
"We mostly import cotton from Tanzania or other places but it becomes difficult for us. Most foreigners or celebrities want to buy original stuff, starting right from the material, many of them don't like chemical dyes, which is why we use natural dyes in what we do," he says.
The Afriek Production manager says that there is a need for more incentives for local fashion designers to be able to get the raw materials easily and also encourage local production.
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Rwandan designs have in recent years made a cut at the international stage, with fashion brands such as House of Tayo, Sonia Mugabo, Moshions, Tanga Design, Rwanda Clothing and many others attracting international clients, including global celebrities.
Founded in 2011 by Matthew Rugamba, House of Tayo, has dressed global celebrities and icons such as FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Mr Eazi, Adekunle Gold, Ruger, Poizon Ivy, Sarkodie, Davido, Burna Boy, Peter Junior Nyong'o, and athletes like Jayson Tatum, Joakim Noah, Amadou Gallo Fall, among others.
Moshions, on the other hand, has been worn by the likes of Didier Drogba, Sauti Sol, Sonia Rolland, Jidenna, Saul Williams, Lous and the Yakuza, Nomzamo Mbatha, Sarkodie, Ilhan Omar and many others.
Other fashion brands such as Sonia Mugabo (SM) collections, founded by Sonia Mugabo, Asantii, founded by Maryse Mbonyumutwa worn by Brazilian model Adriana Lima, UZI Collections which dressed Naomi Campbell, Ne-Yo, Louis Van Gaal, Princess Basma Bint Ali, are among Rwandan brands which have made a name across the globe.
Others like Haute Baso have dressed prominent figures such as Lais Ribeiro, wife of Hakim Noah, Kevin Hart, Arancha Gonzalez Laya, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation of Spain, Ellen DeGeneres, and her partner Portia de Rossi to mention but a few but there is a lot more to do to fully tap into the full potential the industry has.
