IGC Fashion is a community center in Kawempe that offers tailoring skills to youth and women in the area. It has now morphed into an emerging fashion brand, presenting their debut collection at Kampala Fashion Week called “Afro Avant Garde‘. We had a chat with Kasoma Ibrahim, one half of the design duo behind the brand.
Your style is called ‘Afro Avant Garde’? What is afro avant garde?
Afro avant garde is a very experimental style. We seek inspiration from our ancestors, because there’s been a lot of westernization of our style and dressing. We’re tapping where the western market has failed to touch. And, believe that’s where they can’t even compete with us. That’s why you see African prints with hand stitched pieces, created with inspiration sourced locally here.
What has been the reception of your unique style?
This style is not for the faint of heart, you have to be a bit daring to wear these clothes. It’s fashion in its raw form. What we presented on the runway was at the extreme side of the creative spectrum. However, we have a line that’s more commercial. Lots of cool jackets and other pieces that are wearable are in there. We also do bags and shoes.
What’s the future of the brand?
We want to give Ugandan fashion an identity. Designers pay little attention to that, but we need to have an identity. We would like to get to a point where the rest of the world can spot a design from Uganda even from a distance. Of course, using our own authentic inspiration and style
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satisfashionug@gmail.com
