Karenhappuch Ibiara makes designer debut at Addis Ababa Fashion Week 

Karenhappuch Ibiara is a petite multi-hyphenate in the Ugandan fashion scene, commonly recognized for her styling work as well as consultation. This time around she shocked many when she sat in the driver’s seat to create her own collection and subsequent line. The line which debuted at the Addis Ababa Fashion Week, is a poignant piece on Domestic Violence and  femininity. But before we delve into the sweet deets of this surprisingly emotional collection, let’s talk about how she came to start designing this collection.

According to Ibiara, who I caught up with over the phone from Ethiopia, she felt a creative void working as a stylist, and decided to fill it herself, “I felt like I was always clashing with designers because the things I wanted to style, they didn’t necessarily produce.” Ibiara then got to the drawing board. Her line was originally supposed to be released in 2021, but due to unforeseen circumstances was postponed, and finally it’s here. When she’s not styling a fabulous socialite, Ibiara works with a German company that tackles different problems on our continent. BBW started working in Uganda, helping refugees to settle, and now have spread to over 19 countries on the continent, helping out where need be. Ibiara has been a consultant with the company, teaching some of these displaced women skills to help them reclaim their lives. From sewing to cosmetology, these ladies have been busy getting skills to empower themselves. When ibiara requested a leave from work to pursue this clothing line, her employees found a way to incorporate her dream with the work they are already doing. “We decided to include these women in the creation process. When we asked the trainees if they knew what fashion week was, most were unfamiliar with the idea of fashion week so that curiosity fueled the creative process”

The collection, dubbed Ageun to mean “the beginning”, kicks off with a small dramatization on the runway. A married couple gets a misunderstanding and the husband raises a hand on his wife. This shocking act kicks off the runway, where 12 looks are shown. They are vibrant in bright green and orange hues, with floral motifs colouring the experience. Slinky fabrics frame the models as they breeze in and what started in violence ends in utmost beauty and ethereal flare.

The decisions for everything on this runway were made in unison with the ladies of the settlement camp. After deciding the purpose of this collection was not the ready-to-wear or glamour customer, but making a point, the work begun.  The ladies talked about a topic close to their hearts and livelihoods: domestic violence. In the settlement camps and even back home, they were struck with a horrible reality with people who were supposed to love and protect them. This collection is the women’s way of fighting back. They chose bright, bold colours from the Worth Global Style Network Trend Forecast, zeroing in on the orange and green hues. The silhouettes, necklines and other details of the designs came from the women’s experience with apparel. The main question was “what did they wear that made them feel confident?” For some it was a sleeveless dress, while others felt good in particular necklines – as long as it made them feel sexy or strong.

Ibiara noticed one of the ladies was not necessarily participating as openly as the others. When she could catch her alone, they spoke, and it was revealed that her timidity was due to being a victim of rape in the past. This topic hit close to home. Eventually she got courage to add her two cents on the collection, suggesting they include flowers because “they are beautiful but so fragile,” just like a woman. She added, “even if I’m over it, if someone touched me I’d probably crumble. I’m still fragile.” That’s how the flower motif came about, and the choice of silks, satins and linen fabrics was in support with the soft depiction of a woman, flowing and delicate. This was their way of taking their power back. It’s easy to expect a woman who has gone through something like this to be strong, but it is braver for her to find that space to be soft again.

Ibiara dedicated this entire debut collection to the ladies, with proceeds from the purchases of the printed tees going back to them in the settlement camps. “They told me they don’t even want the money as is,” she expounds, “they prefer it to go towards fabrics and other tailoring tools, so they can keep creating.”

The collection was originally made up of over 30 pieces, but only 12 were represented on the runway. Karenhappuch Ibiara is looking forward to an opportunity to showcase all the looks in their full glory in the future. You can find more of the collection here, and we’re excited to see what else Miss Ibiara has in store for the design world, especially after a banging debut like this.