The Independence Day weekend started in style as Sham Tyra introduced her ready to wear brand to Kampala in an intimate showing at the heart of Kampala. On the breezy rooftop at a Kisementi hotel, Sham hosted her friends, media and some former customers to an exclusive pre-release viewing of her collection dubbed STW (StunWear).
The collection included more laid-back pieces than Sham Tyra fans are used to, but were very accessible. The clothing had a more casual tone with neutral colours and soft flowy fabric. It also featured lots of sexy cutouts, crop tops and mini-skirts that are easy to effortlessly incorporate into your closet, but also standalone pieces like a high slitted dress and some jumpsuits.
Drinks were flowing while guests took in the clothes and talked among themselves, presumably wondering which ones they are going to purchase, as there were order cards available for anyone who wanted to take a piece home on spot. Some of the famous faces that graced the event were dressed in the new collection, like Judith Heard, Sheilah Gashumba and the host of the day, Gloria Haguma.
“This is STW. This is my baby. It’s a ready to wear fashion brand and it’s going to be continuous. We’re going to be releasing new pieces every week,” Sham Tyra said after the finale of the runway. “Every week, we’re gonna have something new for the girl on the go.” And then she said something that ripped a round of applause from the crowd.
“STW is very affordable; our pieces go from $28 so you can save a coin,” she said as people clapped and cheered. This is almost revolutionary. Very few Ugandan made brands aim for a lower price point, but at the same time, very few luxury brands have yet branched out into ready to wear plane.
When I got her aside and asked her inspiration for going this direction, and she passionately said, “It came from all the way back. I didn’t grow up glamorous and having everything at the snap of a finger. I was that girl that came from a humble family, but I’m had to show out – but here’s the thing, I wasn’t spending millions or robbing a bank for those outfits. It was just me getting up and putting it together. I got into Sham Tyra, being glamorous and all, and they are kind of expensive because the time we’re taking doing that is tremendous.”
“Where I came from,” she continues, “I was wearing clothes that were not luxurious, not expensive, because I could not afford that. There were amazing pieces still, so I was like, “I need to do that.” Both for the girls that were like me, who may not have money, but also for the women who have it but can save a buck. This ready to wear line, for me, is for the girl on the go. The girl who is making money, closing deals, who looks good but still run around town. That’s why the colours are thought out. The fabric and fitting are also well thought out. There are things you can mix and math and integrate it into your own closet.”
Sham Tyra went deeper into her ethos, and her creative state of mind while making the collection. “Lemme tell you before anything, God comes first for me. I’m not anything without God. I was praying for this brand because it wasn’t something I was used to; I’m used to volume, drama. I had to pray to God to help me remember in appreciation where I came from and create from that place. Everything I have now didn’t happen without the man above.”
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