Fashion is known for being cyclic in nature! But, as we look to the past for whatever vintage trends to resurrect, Seamline Atelier, a collective fashion brand, is to heading back to our roots, and they have valid reasons. As I flip through their new collection, one look stands out – A white jumpsuit with a flared bottom. However, it is the top half of the jumpsuit that grabs most of my attention. Its elaborate shoulders feature pieces from the ‘Ngoma’(drum), a traditional music instrument that’s also used as a means of communication by tribes in Uganda. The drum was deconstructed seamlessly to form the shoulders of the jumpsuit with cow hide fringe falling from it. Now that’s a catch!
Seamline Atelier is a collective fashion brand born out of the walls of Record Fashion School, an incubator for fashion designers. Made up of four former students and classmates, Edward Muyizi, Mukisa Emmanuel Williams, Tamale Eria and Lukakamwa Ruqmhan, it is a team effort of creatives trying to make a difference through fashion. They are intent on using fashion to send strong messages with their collections. For our February cover story, I spoke to them over the phone, to understand how they came together and the story behind ‘Ngoma’, their new collection.
“It all began in 2018,” Muyizi recalls. “There was a class at school called ‘Seamline, which we enjoyed so much. That is where we picked the name ‘Seamline Atelier’”. After little reflection, it wasn’t hard for them to realize that the they shared the same vision, so they came together and created the brand.
Their breakout design was an outfit inspired by a Rubick’s Cube. The story behind it is one that’s both heart wrenching and uplifting. Tamale, one quarter of the group, has a brother who got caught up in the destructive cycle of drugs while still in high school. By the time he completed A level, he was hooked, and to make matters worse, he went ahead to join a gang. One day, one of his gang mates introduced him to a dangerous drug, this time, he got a mental breakdown and even left home. His family searched for him but in vain. Two months later, they were led to find out that he was roaming the streets of Kajjansi town. Immediately they got hold of him, he was put on treatment. He slowly got better and when he eventually left rehab, he joined medical school. He is now a medical doctor. Just like a Rubick’s Cube, upon first sight, the look is jumbled but slowly transforms into something meaningful, inspired by Tamale’s brother’s story.
Seamline Atelier’s creative process is conceptual at heart, and it’s evident in all their work. Muyizi explains further, “With everything we create, we always start with a concept or story. Our style is a mix of avant garde, which is a bit of a shocker for the Ugandan market, but it’s very easy to communicate our stories like that.”
This particular piece was showcased at the Abryanz Fashionprenuer Summit in December (2019) and caught the eye of Talent Africa boss Aly Alibhai, who reached out to them with nothing but applause for their artistry.
At the beginning of 2020, the group participated in a competition organized by the African Union Youth Envoy. “The theme was ‘Silencing the Gun’, for which we came up with a tulip dress which showed a gun being tied up at the muzzle. We won the competition, and this earned us even more attention.”
Their new collection dubbed ‘Ngoma’ is no different. It highlights some parts of our identity that are slowly eroding. “We want to highlight some parts of our culture we’ve allowed to die. In this collection, you can see the Mujjagozo drum which is being eaten up by pests. This is symbolizing the death of traditional music for instance; songs like Gwanga mujje and Sagala Agalamidde which, in the past, were used to invite members of the community to get into action. It was also used as a communication tool at ceremonies,” Lukakamwa explains. “It was also a symbol of authority among clan heads in Buganda and Uganda at large,” adds Mukisa. The Mujjaguzo drum takes centre stage; in its full form, as well as in deconstructed form. The thinking behind the choice of this particular drum is because of its significance in Buganda culture.
“Culture is an integral part of life, it defines who we are as people. This piece above is a representation of an abandoned drum, which was later eaten by pests.” “Our hope is that we return to our roots and safeguard our culture and heritage so that they don’t completely die out or rot like it is happening here,” Muyizi says.
Avante garde creations such as these are difficult to imagine on a regular person, outside of the artistic context. I ask Muyizi how they plan to monetize their designs. “According to the feedback we are getting from people, it’s only a matter of time,” he says. “People are beginning to respond to what we are doing.” There’s already a ready-to-wear collection that will be in the works soon. The boys are confident that their creativity is just about to break ground, and make a difference. After browsing through this new collection, it’s evident that it won’t take long before this turns to fruition.
Discover the collection
Photos by Herbet Kizito
atwiine@satisfashionug.com
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