“2021 has been so good to me to be honest,” Dyna Vence Ruvuza of Dyna Vence Couture tells Satisfashion UG. “Lockdown was like a learning curve for me. I spent a lot of time not doing much, and that’s when I did most of my research. By the time we were out, my craft had been refined greatly.”
The couturier tells us why it’s important to continuously learn.
Let’s start from the beginning what sparked your interest to get into design
I know it sounds cliché for designers to have started young but I started when I was very young. I’ve always loved fashion. I’ve always been interested in clothes. I would rip clothes apart, see what they looked like underneath, and I’d replicate it.
By the time I was done with secondary school, I had already hand sewn a couple of dresses.
Like the mythical misconception of African parents, when it comes to creative work, were they supportive?
It was a very hard one for me. My dad is a very liberal person, he was okay with it and liked what I did. Actually, they all both did to a small degree. I happen to be my parents’ only child. So for their child to end up as a designer, it was a hard pill to swallow. I sort of had to trick them.
When I was done with my Senior six exams, I asked for an opportunity to do a short fashion course as I waited for my results.
When results were out, I had passed, something my parents were thrilled to hear. Since they lived in Kabale, they sent me to Kampala to seek admission at university. Within two days, I was on the next bus to Kampala to get admitted into fashion school. My parents thought I was applying to join a university, yet I was already in fashion school. By the time they realized it, it was already too late..
When was that?
Let me see… I was nineteen and that was 2009. I enrolled into fashion school and kept moving. When the truth finally hit home, I received numerous calls from uncles and aunts expressing how disappointed my parents were. Back then, being a tailor wasn’t something worthy of respect. My mother was so hurt. However, my father was supporting me on the low. He just didn’t want to piss my mother off, but also he kind of understood where I was coming from. It wasn’t easy for me but I stood my ground and did what I wanted.
Did you manage to later win your mother over?
My mother is a ‘Mukiga’. Those women don’t easily express their true emotions. I just kept going. However, with time, she began to see potential in the career choice I had taken. She would look at my work and ask, “did you do that?” Right now she’s fully supportive. I’m sure deep down, she might have desired those grand graduation parties, but here I was making dresses.
Let’s dive a little into your design process. A lot of the designs that I’ve seen from you favor curvy women. Is it intentional?
Not really! I did some research on shapes and form, and realised that most women desire to like the best version of themselves. Fashion is that opportunity they use to deal with a few of their imperfections. I did a course in corsetry and it helped me understand how to use a gown to give a woman her dream shape.
Awesome! Do you have a go to color that you naturally lean to?
I wear a lot of black. It’s something I started like two years ago. I don’t wear any other color. And you cannot just wear black to someone’s wedding. My closet is filled with black. I gave out everything that’s not black. So, I have a whole pile of black leggings and a whole pile of black T shirts, dresses, and people find it weird.
I think it’s a canvas especially for black women.
When I embarked on this ‘black journey’, I also felt like wow, this is weird. I later found out that actually there are so many people like me. Especially designers, who wear the same thing day in and out.
How do you strike a balance between design and comfort?
With clothing, sometimes, you have to find that balance of I want to look good but sometimes you cannot be comfortable. Some dresses will be comfortable. Others will not because it is too tight or they have like so much going on at the bottom. As a designer, I’ll do my best to make sure that it’s as comfortable as possible without compromising the design.
Beauty is pain….
Exactly. If the bride can handle it. Some people are like, it’s okay I’m a bride I don’t need to breathe. (Laughs)
Is there a particular dress or outfit you created that you really enjoyed making?
Hmm, I don’t know. I kind of enjoy all of them. You come up with a concept with someone, it’s always exciting. Each time is a different feeling. Today you’re working with butterflies, the other day it is cowrie shells.
I enjoy wedding gowns the most. When it comes out and it’s so big, I love doing big stuff. The bigger the dress, the more exciting it is for me. I don’t think I have a particular dress that I can say beats all of them each experience is different.
But, there is a wedding gown I created for a bride last Saturday. The design is amazing. I have enjoyed working on it, it’s beautiful.
Let’s revisit a few of your most iconic looks. Let’s start with Spice Diana’s lime green dress….
When we came up with that idea, I started to think of how to construct it. I love spice Diana, she does not mind discomfort. That dress was quite uncomfortable to move around in, but she made it work. There were metals in there, things holding it up and then, nets and lots of wires. I asked her if she would be able to carry the dress, and she was positive. She’s the experimental type, that’s what I love about her.
Rema’s butterfly-filled gown..
It was very exciting to do that one. Remember, at the time, I had a trip to India for my daughter’s surgery, and then also finish and deliver the gown. I arrived the day of the concert, straight from the airport to Serena hotel.
The gown was created in collaboration with the Pink Coconut team, so it wasn’t such a hard task to accomplish. I got to the venue at 9pm, she was about to go on stage, and we were in rush getting her ready. The result was worth all the hustle.
Hellen Lukoma’s tiered blue dress..
I enjoyed creating that one. What I love about celebrities is they listen.
Hellen gave you full creative freedom?
Yes, all of them kind of do. A few of them are very particular about what they want. Most of them want to experiment because, they make appearances all the time. So, they give the designer a chance to design.
Lydia Jasmine’s yellow gown…
That dress was inspired by sunset. I looked at a picture of a sunset and I was like, oh my God! You know, the sun is setting and those birds around it look black against the yellow. I looked at the pictures after the event and wondered, “Hmm! how did we even come up with this so fast?” Usually, those gowns are created last minute. Initially, I didn’t have a concept for it, but after looking at the photo, I got some inspiration. We got the largest fabric we could come up with and painted it for days.
Wow!
(Laughs)
We painted the birds and everything. I had lots of people helping me; my dad and mom were there. It was really a large dress, so large that we needed people to carry her onto the red carpet. We had muscular men carry her. The petticoat underneath had to be metallic. I can’t believe we pulled it off.
I saw the dress, it was so huge wow…
Did you attend that day?
Yeah.
People that didn’t attend the event don’t know how huge it was.
It was so huge, people had to clear the way it was crazy..
Then she had to carry bird’s cage with a real bird in it. All this was done last minute.
Interesting! Let’s shift a little, you once had a designer masterclass..
I had never thought about teaching in my life. But, a certain girl came to me and told me she had seen my work and wanted to learn. I wondered how I’d teach her. Her parents pleaded and requested that I take her on as an intern. Within a month of training, she was already somewhere. That birthed the idea of me sharing my skills. At the end of the day, the only mark we shall leave is the number of lives we shall have touched.
I made a call and got about 20 people for that master class. In my assessment, I learned that what they lacked was confidence. I trained them for a month and by the time they were done, the whole class was doing really well. After the masterclass, it was also a lesson that you just cannot train a designer everything in a month, it’s impossible. That’s how I started my mentorship sessions that go on for months. Because, to be a great designer, you need a solid foundation.
I offer a six months course. It’s amazing to see what students achieve upon completion. You’ll be surprised to learn that some of my students do things that leave me in awe. It’s amazing.
By the way, your space is so beautiful, did I mention that?
(Smiles)
Thank you!
(Laugh)
I walked in and couldn’t stop marveling
We are still renovating, but yeah! I have a dream of what I want my atelier to look like. I’m building it one step at a time.
I’ve noticed that your designs have been evolving over time. What has been your own experience growing creatively?
Learning does not stop. I keep doing courses here and there. I do research a lot too. You cannot stay in the same lane all the time. When you look at what designers are doing internationally, we need to raise the bar. I do a lot of research. I always look at people’s work and challenge myself.
How do you stay motivated?
I think for me, it’s just passion that drives me. I have a very supportive family; my husband is always rooting for me. He’s always pushing me. Every time I’m down, he’ll pull me up.
Also, I’m always happy to assist. I want someone to bring me an idea, and I amplify it. I don’t want to do something that will go unnoticed.
Okay, finally what has 2021 been for you in general? Because it has been a weird year admittedly.
Yes it has been
How has it been it for you?
Lockdown was like a learning curve for me. I spent a lot of time not doing much and that’s when I did most of my research. By the time we were out, my craft had been refined greatly.
2021 has been so good to me, to be honest. Lockdown was like a learning curve for me. I spent a lot of time not doing much and that’s when I did most of my research. By the time we were out, my craft had been refined greatly. A game changer we all desire. We have been also been so busy too.
Also, leaving the city center and setting up here was a huge step. What we have now is what I’d call my dream couture house; it’s calm and spacious, we have ample parking space, and most importantly, people love it here.
This interview has been edited condensed for clarity.
