Best Kenyan Fashion Designers You Will Fall In Love With

Best Kenyan fashion designers you will fall in love with

In my article on the 10 things you should know about Kenyan culture, I told you how much Kenyans love fashion. They love to dress up, and they dress according to whatever function they are attending. This love for fashion has created new designers both upcoming and established, who never disappoint.

As you look for things to do in Nairobi while preparing to visit us, you might want to consider buying a Kenyan outfit that has been made by a Kenyan designer.

While there is a long list of fashion designers in Kenya today and who have all made a name for themselves locally, regionally, and internationally, we can only sample a few.

So let us look at the best Kenyan fashion designers you will fall in love with. In no particular order, here goes:

Photo by Cheptoek Boyo

1. Wambui Mukenyi

Wambui is one of the most sought after designers in Kenya, and that is why she tops this list. She is the CEO of Wambui Mukenyi Fashion House. You will fall in love with her when you realize that she is not only one of the best, but that she is also self-taught.

Wambui founded her label “WM Label” (from her name) in 2009 with custom made outfits before branching out to African bridal wear. Since then, Wambui has never looked back. In fact, she has received national recognition for her designs and has become the face of Bridal Fashion in Kenya.

Wambui is also the first and only Kenyan (and African) to launch her bridal line on a plane. The in-flight fashion show dubbed “Wambui Mukenyi Luxe”, was a fashion display held 10,000 feet above sea level, in partnership with luxury champagne house Moët & Chandon.

Today her label is focused on both bridal wear and ready-to-wear outfits, and she uses luxurious fabrics with a touch of African inspiration.

Wambui recently launched another collection “Renaissance” which is doing very well in the market.

AfroStreet Kollecktion founders Yvonne Odhiambo (left) and Gloria Baraza with some of their collections. Photo by Diana Ngila

2. Yvonne Odhiambo

Yvonne is popularly referred to as “Yvonne Afrostreet”. Her fashion line is “AfroStreet Kollektions”.

The fashion line was actually started by three models in 2012; Yvonne Odhiambo, Melanie Wachie and Gloria Baraza, and they showcased their first collection later that year at Nairobi Fashion Market.

Yvonne is famous for having dressed big names in Africa including the Sauti Sol (one of Kenya’s most popular award winning music group), Yemi Alade (Nigeria’s award-winning Afro Pop female artist), Flavour (also an award winning Nigerian male artist), Vanessa Mdee (an award winning female artist from Tanzania), and the entire Coke Studio Band during the third season of the “Coke Studio Africa”, among others.

In 2014, Yvonne also dressed Big Brother Africa contestants from Kenya; Sabina Stadler and Melvin Alusa.

Her line generally uses African prints with denim, animal prints and other Western fabrics and offers clothing, accessories, and shoes. It targets the modern woman.

You can find Yvonne’s designs at Annabel Onyango’s store Republi.ke.

Photo by John Nyabuto

3. Sally Karago

This is one of the older names in fashion design in the country. Sally started her design house – the Mcensal Fashion House back in 1992, making her one of the pioneers in the fashion industry in Kenya.

Sally has participated in catwalk shows all over the world including the Africa Fashion Week in New York.

She is remembered for being the first designer to incorporate the Maasai blanket/ “shuka” (a piece of cloth that is marked with red and black stripes and is worn by the Maasai people of Kenya), and the “kikoi” (a traditional rectangular piece of soft woven cloth) into her designs. That particular collection was dubbed “Made in Kenya by a Kenyan”.

Her designs are generally inspired by contemporary Africa.

Sally has won so many awards in the fashion industry which includes the Smirnoff Awards Kenya in 1993 and the Mnet Face of Africa competition in 1996.

She is also the current Chair of the Association of Fashion Designers Kenya which coordinates the annual Safari Fashion Week as well as a televised competition known as “Safari Fashion Runway”.

Sally is also known as a fashion design teacher. She founded the Mcensal Fashion School to teach fashion design which she has done since 2009.

She has another brand known as SK Collection that she established in 2014, where she sells ready to wear clothes for all ages.

Photo by John Nyabuto

4. Ann McCreath

Just like Sally Karago, Ann McCreath is another household name when it comes to fashion design in Kenya. Ann founded her brand “KikoRomeo” which is a Swahili phrase that translates to “Adam’s Apple” , in 1996. The brand was inspired by the Kenyan culture, which you will easily notice from all her designs.

KikoRomeo has been at the forefront of the Kenyan fashion industry, inspiring a big number of young people to go into fashion.

She designs for both men and women using different prints and patterns including the use of the “Maasai shuka”, with a reputation of being one of the most sought after fashion designers in Kenya.

She is the current Kenya Coordinator for Fashion Revolution Day, and was recently named among the “Top 100 Women Influencing Africa” by Arise Magazine.

Ann is also remembered for founding the Festival of African Fashion & Arts (FAFA), an event geared towards peace-building through fashion, and which has the tagline “Fashion for Peace”. She is also the Chair of the event.

Ann’s daughter, Iona McCreath has also dived into the design world. She creates affordable lines for the youth. Her fashion house – Kikoti, has been in existence for two years now and she has had personalities including Nomuzi, Diana Opoti, Lupita Nyong’o and Wangechi wearing her designs.

A percentage of her sales also goes to the conservation of wildlife in Kenya.

Photo by Twitter

5. Valerie Nyamwaya

Valerie started designing even before she graduated from the University of Egerton – Kenya. She is the co-founder of Afrivazi, a website that seeks to help Kenyan designers sell their work on an affordable platform while showcasing their work to not just the local, but the international market. Hence, she promotes the ‘Made in Kenya’ brand as one that is strong and equal in competition with other international brands.

While Valerie chooses to tell the African story through her fashion, she is not about the fashion business only. She also promotes a reading culture among rural schools in Kenya by donating books and traveling to spend time and offer mentorship to the students though a book campaign dubbed “Feed the Mind Brighten the Vision”.

Nick’s designs – Photo by gemnation

6. Nick Ondu

Nick is known for dressing the famous “Sauti Sol” band, a Kenyan Afro-pop band and one of the best groups in East Africa. He is the CEO of Ankara Vintage, a leading fashion house in Nairobi.

But men are not the only people Nick dresses. He also specializes in a wide variety of women’s designs as well.

He has been praised for his attention to detail and fit.

Nick’s medium is ethnic prints: from paisley to bogolan to impressions of kuba cloth. He works them into cuts that are clean.

He has graced so many runways including FAFA (Festival for African Fashion and Arts).

He recently released a new collection titled ‘The Sartorial Man’ – a representational mix between indisputable British elegance and impeccable Italian style.

Photo by Binti Online

7. John Kaveke

John is one of Kenya’s most renowned designers. His designs are a blend of African and Western cultures, with his works being exhibited locally and internationally.

John uses materials like leather, tie and dye, knitwear, cotton, denim suede, and linen silk as well as bead work.

He started by designing clothes for men, but he has since included women’s designs as well.

Some of the platforms where his work has been showcased include The International Smirnoff Fashion Awards, Hub of Africa in Ethiopia, The Big Brother Africa House in South Africa, Sarajevo Fashion Week in Bosnia, Swahili Fashion Week in Tanzania, Catwalk Kenya and M-Net Face of Africa in Nigeria, New York Fashion week (2017) and the Siemens FABRIC project in Johannesburg, South Africa (2018).

John plans to celebrate 20 years of “John Kaveke” in 2020, in what he is calling a “fashion installation”.

Photo by tdsblog

8. Azra Walji

Azra is one of the younger designers who must also be celebrated. Her fashion line is “Azra Walji”. She won the Heineken African Fashion Challenge in 2017, which was closely followed by a show case in Lagos Fashion and Design Week 2017.

Azra’s designs are sophisticated, with a touch of elegance and glamour. She also has a beautiful taste in the colours she uses in all her ethnic prints.

She is popular for her evening wear, pret-a-porter and haute couture.

She has shown at Mozambique Fashion Week 2013 and FAFA (Festival of African Fashion & Arts) 2014. She was also nominated for a Kenya fashion award and dressed Miss Universe Kenya for a Gala Show in the Philippines.

Azra is the sister of another famous designer, Jamil Walji.

Photo by tdsblog

9. Faith ‘Manciny’ Migwi

Faith is next in our list of best Kenyan fashion designers you will fall in love with. Why? Because like Wambui Mukenyi, she is also self-taught.

Her line goes by the name “Manciny Designs” and it has become really popular and reputable in the Kenyan fashion industry. She focuses strictly on African outfits.

Faith dived into the deep end of this pool that is the fashion design Kenya in 2012, starting her fashion journey by designing clutches and bags made from recycled plastic paper bags.

She also founded four different brands: “Manciny”, a men’s wear brand, “Eco-chic”, an Eco-friendly brand that uses recycled materials to make bags, “Nyadhi”, a women’s wear brand, and “The Urban Gentleman”, a men’s brand that provides styling and design services for men.

She is currently focusing on men’s designs, inspired by contemporary Africa.

Faith also shops and styles men.

Photo by Binti online

10. Laura Lwala

Laura is known for her jelwelry designs made using beads and metal. Her metal of choice is Brass.

She is known for creating unique pieces of jelwelry where every piece is completely different from the other.

Some of the popular people in Kenya who’ve worn her pieces include Sharon Mundia and Cece Sagini.

Laura is the face behind the brand Pryde Artz.

Vivienne Taa Design – Photo by Culturetrip

11. Vivienne Taa

Vivienne Taa is a new but much needed addition to the Kenyan fashion industry. Knowing her personally, this is one to watch out for. Her label is defined by elegant designs that heavily incorporate the African culture.

Vivienne took on fashion as a hobby while still working for Kenyan’s flag carrier airline – Kenya Airways. After she left the company in 2016, she continued to pursue her passion which saw her showcasing her designs on major runways in Kenya. These include the Nairobi Fashion Week.

Photo by Akinyi Odongo Kenya

12. Evelyne Akinyi Odongo

Evelyne will be the last fashion designer in our list of best Kenyan fashion designers you will fall in love with. Evelyne is the Managing Director of MEFA Creations which she set up in 2002 while in College.

I remember her for designing Kenya’s First Lady, Margaret Kenyatta’s dress that she wore to an event.

She was also selected as one of a few Kenyan entrepreneurs to exhibit at the Kenya House in the United Nations compound in Gigiri, Nairobi where the then US President Barack Obama addressed over 3,000 business leaders drawn from all over the world.

She has also designed for other famous people in the country, which has boosted her career.

Our list of the best Kenyan fashion designers you will fall in love with is now over. Now you know exactly where Kenyan fashion designers stand in matters African fashion. They are creative, they are talented, and they are growing in numbers! So watch out world!