Kampala Fashion Week Kicks Off With Interactive Fashion Talk

Melinda Wavamunno, Kampala Fashion Week’s PR Director, opened day 1 of Kampala Fashion Week by explaining ‘Temple’, the theme of this year’s fashion show extravaganza.

“Our mission for the KFWTEMPLE is to create a place that harmoniously brings people together using the power of symbolism, art and the positive elements of the spirit of our country.” Wavamunno, in mostly white, explained that the setting at the KFWTemple is peaceful just like in a temple, but was quick to note that it has nothing to do with religion.

“We’re bringing different facets of art together that highlight and connect us through impactful and expansive inspirations.”

This set the tone for the interactive Q&A session she moderated shortly after. The press day, which officially kicked off the 6^th edition of Kampala Fashion Week, was held yesterday at the scenic Yamasen Japanese Restaurant. In attendance were designers, models, guests, media and content creators who got the feel and look of the venue beforehand.

With a giant grass thatched roof, wood and glass, Yamasen is aesthetically pleasing. Literally everyone in attendance was wondering how the space was going to be transformed into a runway show venue. Of course, we shall find that out today when the shows kick off.

Back to the talk! The first speaker was obviously Gloria Wavamunno, founder of KFW, who explained that her vision for this year’s edition was to project the passion and creative energy she and her team put into the project.

“I hope that every one of you will leave feeling that art spirit, and the hard work and passion my team and I put in KFW. We love what we do, and hope that you too feel that spirit of love.”

When asked about the part she enjoys the moment, the revered designer didn’t hesitate to say “it’s the creative process. Creating all these beautiful ideas and bringing them life is so rewarding.”

Rae Young from LDJ Production, the producers of the show shared how she met Gloria Wavamunno, and the amazing partnership she has had working with the KFW team here in Uganda.

Some of the designers set to showcase, Emmanuel Bagwana of Eguana and Nunu Mugenyi of Bold in Africa, shared a little about what to expect from their collections. Bagwana hinted on showing a men’s collection with inspiration from the ‘70s, while Mugenyi and her team at Bold in Africa have put together a capsule collection of 10 looks from 6 different designers.

The model session kicked off with Joram Muzira of Joram Model Management who shared at length his journey with KFW, and how it has impacted his career. Nkem Juma, a Nigerian model who flew in just to walk at KFW couldn’t hide her excitement seeing that her dream of exploring Africa was coming to fruition.

The press day Q&A ended with the always super chic content creator, Lucy Bunyenyezi, who explained why she’s using her talents as an actor and filmmaker to expose Uganda’s diverse arts and creative scene.

“There’s so much untapped talent here, and I’m using every opportunity I have to put it out there.”

Day 2 of Kampala Fashion Week is today, shows kick off at 5pm. If you haven’t gotten a ticket yet, head here before they run out.

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