In the heart of Nairobi’s sprawling Kibera, Kenya’s largest urban slum, the second edition of Kibera Fashion Week took center stage. Here, towering models strutted down a three-meter-high catwalk, overlooking the rusted tin roofs of this vibrant community.
For six hours, as the audience enjoyed pop music performances, hundreds of spectators from Kibera and across the city witnessed a diverse range of collections gracing the runway.
Avido, a local designer who launched the first show last year, believes that «Kibera is full of style.» He’s determined to challenge the common misconceptions associated with Kibera, explaining, «People don’t get to see it because the image they have about Kibera is post-electoral violence, prostitution, drug abuse. We want to show that here, we have style, creativity. What we lack here is opportunities.»
Avido, born and raised in Kibera, creates designs that have garnered attention from global stars like Bruno Mars and Beyonce. Kibera Fashion Week has fostered partnerships with organizations like the Goethe Institute, the European Union, Nairobi Design, and the Masai Mbili group, bringing together 11 projects from a pool of 376 candidates who use materials ranging from cotton, jute, wool, pearls, and even metal.
Designer Pius Ochieng, unrelated to Avido, embraced a «Mad Max» post-apocalyptic approach, crafting clothing from reclaimed computer motherboards, spark plugs, LED lighting, chains, springs, and other discarded metal components.
Helen Wanjiru, hailing from Nairobi’s less affluent Kawangware district, has incorporated large pockets into her clothing to symbolize empty opportunities for many Kenyan youths.
The Kibera Fashion Week stands apart from traditional Western fashion shows, with a spirited, mostly young audience that enthusiastically applauds models and designers.
In a nation accustomed to second-hand clothing and dominated by expensive foreign imports, haute couture fashion remains distant. Avido, however, aims to bridge this gap, saying, «We want to show the people what fashion is.»
Project manager Violet Omulo expressed her excitement about the event, highlighting the importance of promoting African fashion and the talented designers emerging from Kenya and across the continent.
Kibera Fashion Week is not just a celebration of style; it’s a platform for creativity, representation, and change, reminding the world that African fashion has a unique and powerful voice.