The fashion industry has expanded significantly in Rwanda and promises to continue to grow in the coming years, given the current trends. New Rwandan fashion houses to expect in 2023
There are houses that we can call parents in this industry that started when it was difficult, including Moshions, House of Tayo, Uzi Collection, Rwanda Clothing, Uzuri KY, and others that have made a visible contribution to fashion.
Although these laid the solid brick, their brothers did not sit down but produced the way they counted, now they would produce.
kigalisights.com has compiled a list of ten new fashion houses that showed diversity in 2022, so many will be wondering what they have in store for 2023 and the years to come.
Lii Collection
Born to a Burundian father and Rwandan mother, Nshimirimana grew up with a dream to become a great footballer but injuries killed his dream and he ended up in fashion.
“A friend called Arnaud hooked me up to fashion. He said my size was among the most sought-after at fashion events and told me to join a modeling agency to learn more about modeling. Because I wanted to one day appear on billboards, I didn’t hesitate,” he said.
Nshimirimana has been in fashion since 2013, having started as a model with the inaugural Kigali Fashion Week being his first event where he hit the runway.
He spent six years in modeling during which he participated in almost every local big fashion event including Rwanda Cultural Fashion Show and Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Kigali, among others.
Artistes like Jules Sentore, Juno Kizigenza, Masamba, B Threy, DJ Marnaud, Producer Madebeats and Ibrahim Cyusa are among Nshimirimana’s regular customers but singer DJ Pius remains longtime fan, who later on became the ambassador for the designer’s brand.
Kezem
In 2020 it was Niyonsenga Emmanuel, who launched a fashion house called Kezem with amazing skills in creating modern but very traditional women’s and men’s clothing.
Niyonsenga is one of the successful talents in the first round of Art-Rwanda Art in the fashion section, this opportunity was fruitful because it was he who founded this house that captured the hearts of celebrities in Rwanda.
Kezem made a big impression this year because its clothes were seen by celebrities who participated in various events, including journalist Sandrine Isheja, comedian Nkusi Arthur, singer Aline Sano and others.
This house has since its inception released three types of clothing.
Kanyana World
If you go to look at the clothes the girls in Kigali and other places are wearing this year, you will find kimonos, if you look closely, most of them were made in the Kanyana World fashion house.
This is a fashion house founded by Kanyana Nadine, a girl who got into technology and became obsessed with fashion.
Kanyana is one of the fashion artists who exudes confidence through the clothes she makes. It is a good example that shows that Art-Rwanda is an activity that will promote the talents of Rwandan children because he was able to succeed and see how he improves his activities.
Kanyana World manufactures different clothes and has become famous for dressing dignitaries including the Minister of Youth and Culture, Mbabazi Rose Mary, MP Nyirahirwa Veneranda, Maniriho Clarisse and others including journalists and famous artists.
Based on its activities this year, there is no doubt that in the coming years it will lay a strong brick in the fashion industry in Rwanda.
Berabose Designs
Berabose Designs is a fashion house founded by Berabose Elisabeth, a Rwandan who grew up in various countries of the Western World. Where she grew up, he faced different discrimination, which led her to establish a fashion house called Berabose to show that she was capable.
This girl was born in Rwanda and grew up in Belgium, but has lived in countries including Spain, the United States of America, and Ghana. In all these countries she lived in, she faced discrimination based on her skin and gender, where she was seen as a person who had nothing to do.
This made her work for this fashion house by showing that she has a lot of ability and really if you look at his work you can see that she is strong.
In Berabose Designs, they make different clothes for both men and women, and they have the speciality that the person who wants to wear them goes to their workplace, meets with the tailors and the artist, and they discuss and make the right clothes for her that she feels satisfied with.
This year they have shown a lot of diversity through the new clothing called ’27’ which is unique in protecting the environment.
Izubaa
Élodie worked in the most important fashion houses in the world such as ‘Armani’ and realized that she has an amazing talent and decided to create Izubaa, a women’s and men’s clothing company specializing in color mixing.
This year, she has done activities that show the immunity she has in this company because her clothes were shown in Rwanda Fashion Week, Tourism Fashion Week, and the clothes used by Mashirika in Youth Connect.
Urutozi Gakondo
Urutozi Gakondo is one of the new Rwandan fashion houses that has expanded its borders to the international market as it has branches in the United States of America and Dubai.
In 2019, Amini Deodactus, a young man who studied science but was attracted by fashion because of the gap he saw in men’s clothing, started Traditional Training.
It makes different clothes but it focuses on men’s wear and has different colors because that is its target.
Ceka
Covid-19 caused a lot of consequences including job loss for many because businesses were closed, and among those who lost their jobs Umubyeyi Sharifa, decided to start making shoes.
This is a great contribution that she came up with because shoemakers are still few and the need is large. Umubyeyi through Ceka manufactures a variety of shoes for men, women and children.
She has a dream to reduce the number of imported shoes as she prepares to establish a factory in Rwanda.
Maison Munezero
Munezero Vainqueur is one of the new models who has made a special entry into the fashion industry because she has a knack for renovating old clothes and making them wearable again.
This is one of the winners of the Art-Rwanda Ubahanzi first stage and she will make the most of the opportunities she got, looking at her work you can see that she will do wonders in the years to come.
Bold Bonza
Sisi Uwera Laetitia Ngamije is famous for modeling fashion here in Rwanda and abroad, after understanding this industry well she started her own fashion house called Bold Bonza.
This is a fashion house that makes a variety of men’s and women’s clothing that has made its mark, especially this year, both at fashion events such as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and in its outdoor clothing.
Matheo studio
At the fashion event that took place in Rwanda, high-level ‘Hot Couture’ clothing was seen, which was not very common in Rwanda. Matheo Studio showed diversity.
This is a fashion house started by a young man from Musanze District, Niyigena Maurice, who makes high-quality clothes.
Matheo has dressed various celebrities including the Beauty artist, Franco Kabano, who designed the dress Sanduina wore when he won the Bianca Fashion Week awards.
