Open letter to Uganda Fashion Pillars

To whom it may concern, 

Every single day I wake up, open my phone and see amazing works of art being contributed to the fashion world in Uganda. The designers, models, makeup artists, photographers, muses and everyone in between is doing the absolute best they can, but for us to be considered a serious contender in the global game, for Kampala to be considered a fashion destination, we need to have some real markers for that.

When someone wants to consume Ugandan fashion, where do they go? We used to have an impeccably produced and curated fashion week. The best designers were chosen, the best models walked the runway, the nights were curated to a tee, immersing the viewer in the world that had been created for fashion to be fostered. It’s been three years and counting since we had one. No matter how hard we tried to manifest it.

We used to have an award show dedicated to fashion in Uganda and Africa. A glamorous night with stars from here and beyond, ready to make a stir within the city. The fantasy, the flexing by designers, the lights and cameras – it was a night to look forward to.

Now, I’m not naive. I know that to create such experiences takes incredible amounts of time, effort and resources. The planning is shrouded in scandal, harsh criticism and many times losses. The easiest thing is to do a cost-benefit analysis and decide to leave it behind for something better, more meaningful or more profitable. I’m very passionate about quitting what doesn’t work for me, so I get it. On a regular day I’d say ‘Godspeed’ on your pursuit for better, but today I won’t.

There is a lot of responsibility that comes with positioning yourself as a pillar in the sector. If you have decided to make an annual event to honor the best in the business, you cannot just break the pillar when it no longer serves you. A lot crumbles around it when that happens. This is not to say you should be chained to the position for good, but a mere suggestion: the institution should be able to continue without the individual. 

Many fashion shows have come before, during and after Kampala Fashion Week, but none have come close to having the same impact. Whether it’s subpar production, very soft standards for participating designers and models, or branding, others have tried and failed. The branding one is especially restricting, because no other name can have more impact in directing fashion lovers like (City) Fashion Week, if someone is looking to learn about fashion in Uganda, they will start by googling Kampala Fashion Week to see what comes up. We all know London, Paris, Lagos, New York, Seoul, Dakar and all the other city fashion weeks. They don’t just not happen, and the same should be expected of Kampala’s. Vogue Italia once described KFW as having an “underlying sense of commitment to developing and sharing a cross section of fashion and craftsmanship… firmly rooted in an African context.” We’d love the commitment to continue, is all I’m saying.

The first MET Gala took place in 1948, and the concept was conceived by a fashion publicist named Eleanor Lambert. The gala is currently in the hands of Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour, who took the reins in 1995. I don’t think it would be as meaningful if it was a two time event to be lost in obscurity until some other person does the same thing with a different name. 

When maintaining institutions such as the MET Gala and yes, the ASFA’s, it should be intentional to prepare to pass the baton when one Director gets tired of driving the boat rather than sinking the entire ship. The formula for that event can be passed down, and the security there lies in the fact that the name holds more weight than the mechanics of the event. The fear that someone will get all those contacts and process secrets only to run away and make their own copycat event should be squashed by the simple knowledge that XYZ Awards won’t hold the same punch as your established, highly anticipated, astutely branded one.

In fact, the formula could be switched on its head and taken in a different direction but the effect will still hold water. ASFAs will still be ASFAs if it’s held at a different hotel with a different red carpet setup and a different decor service provider. What makes it what it is, is the history and expectation built up, of beautiful people in beautiful clothes, showing off the best that Uganda has to offer. Then the individuals who make the industry happen receive their flowers for doing what they do. See you next year.

It sounds trivial and to some extent elitist to say we need a playing ground where the best of the best can show off their stuff. To some of us, fashion weeks and awards are the Olympics and Champions League’s of our lives. Many young people in Uganda entering the industry have little idea what to do or how to do it – institutions with clear standards can help everyone to meet international standards of fashion creation. My plea is for these different players to consider reviving the pillars they put up, and forging a way forward even without the founder in the picture anymore. 

satisfashionug@gmail.com