IGIHE

Category: Fashion

  • Umwitero, taking a dive in contemporary times

    Umwitero, taking a dive in contemporary times

    Fashions fade, style is eternal said the French iconic designer Yves Saint Laurent a few decades ago. Those words kept alive the creative nerve of the designers. Today we are looking at a particular type of cloth and design which holds an important place in the clothing culture of Rwandans, and that is Umwitero.

    The history of Umwitero dates back in the 1990’s when the Royal court, chiefs and rich personalities cherished this outfit which was mainly made in bark cloth and animal skins. The noble class found pleasure in wearing it in their daily life and its beauty had to reflect their powerful status.

    Umwitero is a robe-like attire which hangs on the shoulder and is a signature piece of the designing house of Moses Turahirwa, Moshions. But when he decided to bring it back to life this piece he revolutionized it by adding a modern touch and using the modern fabrics (Cotton,Wool,Silk) and a diversification of colors, a bet which he won as he now holds in his clientele database names like Mani Martin, Massamba, Urban Boys, Former miss France Sonia Rolland, to only name a few.

    Moses Turahirwa explains: “I was inspired by the royal outfit, and it is with pride in my culture that I wanted to create the perfect outfit reflecting the ancient times but with a modern touch that will be clothed by males and females and still express creativity, beauty and uniqueness”.

    “A lot of people use the attire in their dowry ceremonies and I take pleasure in blending it with another piece of clothing. I can say that it is the piece-ambassador of my brand and every time that I design a new collection there will be a beautiful piece of it.” says Turahirwa Moses.

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    By Ivan Nyagatare

  • Hakym Reagan , A Clothing brand that Shirts you up

    On a verge of being just a year Old here in Rwanda, the Hakym Reagan brand has already amazed some with it’s collections and mainly the marquee ambassador of the clothing pieces found at the their store in town near the little roundabout heading to Nyamirambo, just few yards away from Agakinjiro workshop and that is “The Shirt”

    Besides the fact that HAKYM REAGAN brand has all it takes to dress a family with a wide range of clothing items like Suits, Dresses, Shoes, Skirts, Pants and make-up accessories we focused on the most sought item of their store and it is a Shirt.

    Bought by Males and Females, a Shirt is our number one item for the customers said Mr. Reagan, who created his clothing brand a year ago after returning from US where he worked in the film industry as a movie director and costume designer, and that’s how he realized he wanted to not only focus on clothing actors but make clothes which can be dressed by everyone.

    He shared with IGIHE his journey as a designer: “I started attending parties in my off days and many people started asking me why I was buying my clothes and in my reply I told them that they were my creation, they were intrigued by the colorful and design of my shirts and I started receiving requests and orders from people who were willing to buy them and that’s how I started thinking of becoming a designer and when I returned to Rwanda I created my designing house and started using even DHL express services so that I can ship my clothes abroad”.

    Asked why he made the Shirts his brand’s signature product he simply answered by saying that Shirts say a lot about a person and hopes that with the Made In Rwanda Campaign his products value will increase and get more demands for his clothing pieces.

    The young designer who takes inspiration from his everyday’s activities has already showcased his clothes in the Rwanda Modesty Show, Innovation Fashion Show and Kitenge Dress Code Dinner and is working on different collections that he plans to unveil at the end of the year.

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    By Ivan Nyagatare

  • African supermodel Maria Borges on cover of Elle magazine

    Supermodel Maria Borges has tweeted that she is honoured to be the first African woman to feature on the cover of the American version of Elle magazine this century.

    In an interview with Elle, the Angolan emphasised the importance of diversity in the fashion industry.

    She said the industry was for everyone, regardless of race.

    The previous African woman to appear on the magazine’s front cover was Sudanese model Alek Wek in 1997.

    “It’s an honour to be on the cover of the American Elle, feeling beautiful and rocking my afro!” she said on Instagram.

    ‘All about inspiration’

    Borges also won acclaim in 2015, when as a Victoria’s Secret lingerie model she became the first black woman to display her natural hair “in its Afro state” without being made up, Buzzfeed reported.

    She said that hoped her latest success on the front page of the May US edition of Elle would inspire other women from Africa to follow her example.

    “When I was growing up, I never saw someone like me, and now the other girls can see someone like them. It’s all about inspiration.”

    Ms Borges features as one of six swimsuit models in the magazine, appearing alongside Candice Huffine – one of the first plus-size women to be on the front page of one of the magazine’s special sections.

    In a meteoric rise Ms Borges became the face of L’Oreal Paris in February. She issued a statement at the time pointing out “that a girl who started from the bottom can be an international beauty symbol and be living proof that our dreams are valid”.

    She has been modelling since 2010 and has also appeared for Chanel, Balmain, and Givenchy.

    Maria Borges has tweeted of her delight at appearing on the Elle front cover

    Source:BBC

  • Why dressing well matters

    One thing that makes an individual stand out in a crowd, fashion enthusiasts will tell you, is dressing. No wonder, awareness of this fact could partly be the reason why many people subscribing to all age brackets and social classes spend ample time seeing themselves in mirrors before they leave the house.

    Underlining the intrinsic value of descent dressing designers Iconic Coco Chanel said that in order to be irreplaceable, one must be different and the first step to be different is through dressing well.

    Before we delve into this topic let’s first remind ourselves why dressing well should be a concern for everyone and never to be regarded a wastage of time.

    It boosts one’s appearance

    If you look at anyone that you’ve ever met I actually refer to that person whose impact in your life live on. Many a times, you’ll think back to the first time that you met them. This implies that meeting as many people as possible for the first time is part and parcel of your normal day. Your sight just catches some of them without any formal or informal interaction; but they leave a trace in your life. Why?

    Experts in design say dressing claims about 90 per cent of personal presentation and it creates the first and lasting impression in the people you meet. Whatever you choose to wear be it suits, jackets, jeans et cetera communicates differently and with enduring impact. Did you know that the colours you choose to wear also speak volumes about you? You can, however, consciously choose to aim at creating great impression over the messages that your dressing may suggest.

    Improves self-confidence

    Men and women serving in the forces around the world appreciated the implication of dressing long before many us. Look at how much pride the Rwanda Defense Force takes in their uniforms and how Police officers in everywhere they are act with pride and confidence.

    This could perhaps be one of the reasons civilians accord them too much respect much of which is derived from the uniform and what it represents.

    Similar confidence will be gained when you put on a suit, it’s – I mean, it’s like a suit of armour, you put that on and you feel confident and you know you look great, it makes you look more masculine and you can hang out and nail that interview, nail that presentation and just feel good.

    Do you want to increase your confidence? You now know what to do!

    Attention to details

    I was just talking about Policemen in uniform. I mean, they have to know exactly where a very little badge and nametag are and the same applies to gentlemen that embrace the custom of wearing suits. They have to know if shoes are well shone and if the pocket squares are well aligned.

    And our ladies? They have to match their make-ups and accessories with the dress they are going to grace the day with; and that is the power of dressing well it will force you to keep clean and attractive.

    Please Ladies and Gentlemen take pride in your appearance!

    You could have a Harvard MBA, you can have a degree from our very own University of Kigali, and no one is going to see that. All they see is the dresses that you have on your body before you speak to them. So, make sure to give a damn about your appearance and to make the best first impression because, really, this is about you. This is about you being able to make your road easier. I know that you could not care, but why would you do that to yourself? It’s like shooting yourself in the foot.

    By Ivan Nyagatare