| Designers |
BothDol Fashion
For more information visit BothDol Fashion's website www.bothdolfashion.com-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Lalesso
All garments are manufactured in Kenya in Lalesso’s new SOKO plant. Lalesso works with up to 50 tailors who are all paid an above average rate for their work and Lalesso employs a very strict ethical policy to provide an improved quality of living for all persons involved. For more information visit Lalesso's website www.lalesso.com-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Modahnik
The Modahnik line will be launched with a Fall 2009 debut collection of dresses in September 2009. For more information visit Modahnik's website www.modahnik.com-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Utamaduni Wear
Wambui Wamutogoria is the head designer and owner of Utamaduni Wear a project she embarked on to reflect her personal style and fashion sense. Utamaduni Wear uses traditional African fabric: bold and bright colors and patterns. Utamaduni is a Kiswahili word that is often used to refer to culture and tradition. Using fabric from her native Kenya, Wamutogoria infuses contemporary Western designs with authentic African styles to produce unique fashion. Utamaduni Wear espouses Africa, and its rich political and social history. Wamutogoria: "I am surprised to see what an important role fashion played in everyday society from kings and nobility who needed to present a regal and powerful image, to the common man getting married or going to a seasonal festival." It is this historical context of African art in fashion that Utamaduni Wear looks to reviving, and introducing to the world by establishing a strong African brand. Based in Nairobi, but with an online presence, Utamaduni Wear is launching a new line in the next couple of weeks. For more information visit www.utamaduniwear.com-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bongo Republic
Bongo Republic offers affordable urban wear whose colors and designs are as cosmopolitan as the people they represent. For more information visit Bongo Republic's website www.bongorepublic.com or click here to purchase products. |
Twenty-year old Nyamal Both dreams of showcasing her vibrant African-influenced pieces at the New York Fashion Week, but she recognizes that her label BothDol Fashion has to grow first. With no formal training, Both has learned her trade by practicing: she designs her own clothes and those of family and friends. And for the past two years has taken the Twin Cities fashion scene by storm, exhibiting her work at almost every community event in Minnesota and runways like Envision. 
Encapsulating the pure spirit of easy living, the Lalesso Collection echoes a classic simplicity with accents of frill, gathers, pocket, and button detailing. And the beautiful silk fabric provides a glamorous and chic element that radiates luxury and comfort. Lalesso was started in 2004 by co-creators Olivia Kennaway and Alice Heusser, while they were at design school in Cape Town. The inspiration for the brand came while on vacation visiting Olivia’s home country of Kenya. The vision came from the traditional ‘uniform’ of the local women in these coastal regions. It was the captivatingly beautiful ‘khanga’ or ‘lesso’, of the intrinsic patterns and vibrant colors that grabbed their attention. The ideology behind the line was centered on transforming the beautiful pieces of East African heritage into some stylish, fun, and current/trendy designs. 
Modahnik is a unique contemporary women’s fashion line heavily influenced by both the Western modern world and the more ethnic African aesthetic. Kahindo Mateene is the Designer and Founder of Modahnik. Hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo(formerly Zaire), she now lives in Chicago, IL. Mateene uses the colorful African print fabric as the main focus adding feminine details to design sophisticated and contemporary silhouettes that accentuate a woman's curves. She promises that her designs "will not only complement your wardrobe but this unique juxtaposition adds an exciting and highly stylized fashion flair for the sexy modern and sophisticated chic woman." Modahnik is a socially conscious clothing line that incorporates fair trade practices in Africa. 
Bongo Republic was established in 2008 by Said Mgambo who is a very talented graphic artist and has been working with numerous companies in the entertainment industry. The word ‘Bongo’ is a slang term that is derived from the Swahili word ‘Ubongo’ meaning ‘Brain’, while ‘Republic’ represents an order in which the supreme power lies within the body of its people. The inspiration for this brand name stems from Tanzania where people refer to themselves as Wabongo or Mbongo. This clothing line is dedicated to the representation of each and every person who is working hard everyday to make great things happen within their lives. 
