Nairobi Fashion Week is a pioneering platform fostering the ideals of sustainability and cultural representation of fashion in Africa. We sat down with Kihindas Brian, the brain behind Nairobi Fashion Week and the founder of the Kenyan Fashion Council, to discuss the initiatives, challenges, and triumphs shaping the fashion industry in Kenya and beyond. From the inception of Fashion Frontier Africa to the pressing issues of fast fashion and the unique role of fashion weeks in the African context, Brian sheds light on his mission to promote eco-friendly practices and elevate African designers on the global stage.
FAB: How are you supporting designers who are new to the sustainability journey? What resources or programmes are in place to help them transition to a more eco-friendly practice?
Kihindas Brian: The core ideal of Nairobi Fashion Week is to build a sustainable ecosystem in Africa. As a result, we launched and accelerated a programme called ‘Fashion Frontier Africa’. You can find a lot of information on fashionfrontierafrica.com. Our goal is to embed sustainability into every aspect of the fashion industry, from business models to individual designers. The best way to tackle fast fashion is to work with new designers, who will then embed sustainability into their business models.
We are working with new and young players in the industry. There is also significant interest from established designers who want to embrace sustainable fashion in their operations. This programme aims to engage both current and potential practitioners of sustainable fashion.
We are also establishing a profile within the European industry. Last month, we held a webinar with an expert and a retail buyer from Italy. They provided insights into market expectations regarding the quality of products. Our vision is to promote sustainable fashion by providing a platform for designers to share information on sustainable practices, fabric sources, and sales opportunities across Africa.
We have various partners in Europe who are keen on promoting designers producing sustainable collections. Everyone wants to be part of this new movement, as people are becoming more conscious of the environmental impact of their clothing. Fashion Frontier Africa is our solution to sustainability in the industry.
FAB: What are the recorded key achievements from the Just Fashion campaign last year?
Kihindas Brian: We advocate for a fair and equitable approach to global fashion. Many outside the continent view African fashion through a lens shaped by their experiences. Some fast fashion practitioners see Africa as a dumping ground, and a significant portion of what is brought in as second-hand clothing is often unsellable.
We conducted site visits to one of Kenya’s largest markets, where we engaged with traders. They reported that ten years ago, they received good stock, but now only 60–70% of what they receive is sellable. The rest ends up as waste, often dumped into rivers, causing significant environmental damage and health issues for the local population.
The Just Fashion campaign aims to promote a fairer way of managing waste. We advocate for responsible waste handling in Europe and North America and sustainable second-hand clothing imports. We want durable, good-quality second-hand items in Africa, not waste.
We have expanded the conversation globally and engaged various partners to raise awareness about transitioning from fast fashion to sustainable practices. The campaign continues to grow, and we have a dedicated team working to spread this message across the continent.
FAB: What is responsible for this dumping? Do you see the importation of second-hand clothing ending anytime soon?
Kihindas Brian: Responsibility begins at the source. Many second-hand items sent to Africa are donated by charity organisations, but the problem lies with the players involved. There are different types of bales, with varying quality, but even the best grades contain a lot of waste.
The problem must be addressed at the source. African governments and sustainable fashion advocates must hold cloth importers accountable. There should be checks and balances to ensure we get value for our money.
There needs to be more engagement between traders and governments in Europe and Africa. However, most of us don’t have an issue with second-hand clothing because we lack the capacity to meet industry demands due to insufficient mechanisation, unfavourable tax incentives, and a fragile business environment.
Another solution is to hold fast fashion practitioners accountable, ensuring they use part of their revenue to clean up the mess in Africa. Establishing recycling centres to transform unwanted waste into usable fabric is another way to keep the environment clean and address the problem.
Reinvesting Proceeds into the Fashion Industry
FAB: You’ve spoken about reinvesting the proceeds of second-hand clothing into the fashion industry. How?
Kihindas Brian: This is the most effective method for scaling up our industry. There’s a lot of money in the second-hand clothing business in Europe. If we can engage with African governments to facilitate a unified approach to dealing with these players, it would help address funding and waste management issues.
We need facilities to produce high-quality fabric for our designers. Many good fabrics are sourced from Africa but are processed elsewhere, leading to revenue loss. Supporting organisations that want to venture into fabric production in Africa can help sustain our economy and close market gaps.
By ensuring that we have the facilities to produce our own high-quality fabrics, we can support our designers better and reduce our dependence on imports. This approach not only addresses waste management but also boosts our local fashion industry.
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The Role of Fashion Weeks in Africa
FAB: Some believe we don’t need fashion weeks in Africa since we don’t have varying seasons (summer, fall, winter, and spring). How does Nairobi Fashion Week facilitate a network between local designers and the international market? What successes have you recorded from these efforts?
Kihindas Brian: This is not just a Nairobi Fashion Week issue; it applies to all of Africa. While we don’t have four distinct seasons, African designers still create collections reflecting seasonal changes. Many African designers have successfully expanded their markets to Europe and America. Fashion weeks provide a crucial platform for them to present their work to the public, including the press, fashion enthusiasts, and potential buyers, which is vital for the growth and recognition of African fashion globally.
Last year, we invited local retailers who showed interest in stocking some of the runway collections in their shops. We also have installation showrooms interested in these collections. Fashion Week plays a crucial role both globally and locally by fostering symbiotic relationships between retailers and designers. Our goal is to see more African-made products in retail stores across the continent. To achieve this, we partnered with an international online retail platform to stock products from Nairobi Fashion Week and Fashion Frontier Africa. Our long-term goal is to expand the market by bringing international players onto our platforms to collaborate with African designers.
Challenges and Milestones of Nairobi Fashion Week
Kihindas Brian: We started in 2013, and the needs were different from those now. Back then, new designers were looking to break into the industry. Our focus was to create a platform for designers to interact with patrons and sell their work. We had exhibition booths where patrons could buy directly from the designers.
As we gravitated past 2017, market access became a significant concern for designers. Many were looking at Africa and Europe as key markets. We had to adapt our business model to address this. At Nairobi Fashion Week, we took a break to restructure our approach. Our current model focuses on retail access, ensuring that designers showcasing at our event have opportunities to connect with both local and international retailers.
Another challenge was gaining international press coverage. Designers want global visibility for their brands. We also wanted to develop a sustainable programme that goes beyond the Fashion Week event itself. This led to the creation of Fashion Frontier Africa, which provides continuous support for designers. Our goal is to ensure market access, media exposure, and a sustainable support system for designers.
Unlike the well-funded fashion weeks in other parts of the world, we rely on goodwill. However, the conversation is changing, and we hope that more governments and the private sector will recognise the economic potential of the fashion industry and provide the necessary support. Stay up to date on the latest in fashion, arts, beauty, and lifestyle by following FAB L’Style Magazine.
Our focus was to create a platform for designers to interact with patrons and sell their work. We had exhibition booths where patrons could buy directly from the designers
Kihindas Brian
Long-term goals for Nairobi Fashion Week
FAB: Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals for Nairobi Fashion Week, especially in terms of sustainability and cultural representation?
Kihindas Brian: One of our values is to profile Nairobi Fashion Week as Africa’s Sustainable Fashion Week. We aim to showcase a significant number of sustainable brands on the runway. In terms of cultural values, we’d like to highlight the rich history of African storytelling through fashion. Fashion is a form of art expression, and we can express our art as Africans by promoting traditional fabrics. The Kente fabric is dear to us as Africans, and Kikoy is like the national fabric here in Kenya. We can use Fashion Week as a bedrock expression of our cultural identity. There are many fabrics across Africa that have not been properly documented. We want to use design creativity and modern inspiration to promote these fabrics.
We also aim to establish Nairobi Fashion Week as a beacon of sustainability, serving as a model for other fashion weeks in Africa. By engaging in topical issues on sustainability and the impact of fast fashion, we hope to influence policy and inspire other fashion events and initiatives to embrace sustainable practices. Our long-term vision includes promoting African cultural heritage and sustainable fashion practices, making Nairobi Fashion Week a leading example on the continent.
FAB: You’re doing quite a lot. Welldone.
