Satisfashion UG Meets Budding Stylist Oketch Samuel Of Sam Trendaz

"One to watch"

“I have something that few people do, and that’s what sets me apart,” Oketch Samuel of Sam Trendaz tells Satisfashion UG. The 26-year-old budding stylist has for the past years been building something unique and different. A crazy mix of ‘out of the box thinking’ as seen on a slew of his works; Ankara print jackets emblazoned with spikes, a playsuit complete with its balaclava, also completed with spikes, and so much more.

Oketch describes his work as “creative and unique visual imaginations.” His brand was born out of conversations he had with his father about renowned fashion designers. “My father is a fashion aficionado. I always enjoyed conversations he and I had about art and fashion,” he tells Satisfashion UG. This inspired him to tap into his creative side, which had lived within him since childhood. He would imagine these unique garments before quickly turning them to life. “Friends and colleagues would get blown away every time, which was good feedback,” he recalls. He soon enrolled at the University of Nairobi’s School of Art and Design to spruce up his knowledge of design.

Oketch’s design process starts with a brief from a client, which he says he ensures to understand. “I then seek inspiration which comes alive through various sketches before I zero down to the perfect design I’d like to create. I then choose the colors and fabrics.” On how the growth of the brand has impacted his design process he says, “it has widened his thought process and made his inspirations vast.” His biggest pushback is swiftly putting his brand out there, which he says requires a bit of investment. He is, however, relying on hard work and his innate innovativeness.

On international designers and stylists that inspire him, Oketch is quick to mention Thom Browne and Tianah’s Place Empire from Nigeria. “I love that Ugandans are starting to embrace ‘out of the box thinking when it comes to fashion. It’s an opportunity that I’m seizing,” he says. His dream is to grow the brand beyond the borders of Uganda.

Check out more of his work here.