Ras Kasozi to give the ‘busuuti’ a fresh new twist

Fashion designer Ras Kasozi gave us a sneak peek into what he will be showcasing at the highly anticipated Kampala Fashion Week. The creative genius whose work has been on runways in Canada will be giving the busuuti a fresh new twist. He will be presenting a trendy version of this iconic dress.

The collection is inspired by the essence of the rich of history of the Baganda and has pieces that are fresh and youthful. The collection also caters to the needs of the modern Ugandan woman with pieces suitable for everything from formal to casual occasions.

Grace Nakimera on the cover of African Woman magazine wearing the busuuti

Busuuti also called Gomesi is the official dress for women in Buganda. The dress is very elaborate, with a square neck adorned with two buttons, pointy sleeves, full skirt, and a huge sash. There are many historical contradictions about the origin of the busuuti/gomesi. Contemporary history indicates that the it was originally made for Gayaza schoolgirls in around 1940s and 50s. Their first school uniform was a cotton sheet, which they wrapped around their breasts and tied to the waist with a strip of cloth. But the uniform often slipped off when the girls bent down to dig. Their missionary tutors thought it was indecent for a woman to expose her breasts. So, they had an Indian tailor sew out the busuuti/gomesi. Two decades later, the gomesi became a popular outfit at all traditional functions for the Baganda and later the Basoga, Iteso, Alur and Japadhola.

But some people, especially the Baganda, dispute this version of history and say the busuuti/gomesi existed long before the coming of the missionaries and that missionaries only improved the existing design made from bark cloth and changed the name to claim the discovery.

Ras will present this collection on 15th November during Kampala Fashion Week.

Photo credit: The Nabagereka Foundation / African Woman Magazine

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