Kipusa struts into Kenyan fashion scene

Fashion designer and part time radio jockey Anne Mpinga makes her runway debut at the Hub of Africa Fashion week in December, with her newly launched Kipusa line.

Kipusa is Swahili for beautiful young lady and as the name suggests, her clothes are designed to accentuate the natural beauty that women have.

One of Africa’s busiest fashion events, the Hub of Africa Fashion Week will be held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, and the theme this December is ‘Green Fashion’.

“We have to make at least one piece with a story behind it,” says Anne.

But while doing her research for #greenfashion, Anne stumbled on Heshima Kenya, a non-governmental organisation that works with unaccompanied refugees who are mostly underage.

“It’s also a safe house for abused women and victims of clashes. The ladies there make tie and dye scarves which can be converted into dresses, so my piece will be inspired by that. Whatever I make from that collection will go to Heshima Kenya,” she told Capital Lifestyle.

Kipusa has been a dream of Anne’s for several years and it came to fruition in March, 2011, finally, with her first show merely months away.

The designs can be classified as modern-African chic. Anne moulds rich African fabric into funky modern wear that twists the cap on ‘kawaida’ official or casual wear.

“Kipusa was born out of a love for colour, pattern, frills and beauty. It is a collection that represents the beautifully diverse fabric selections available in Africa… Kipusa brings forth a love for colour, style, prints and non conformity in designs that are edgy and appealing to the sophisticated woman,” she declares.

She teases some of her pieces as a combination of African prints fused with lace, natural cotton and chiffon accents carefully put together to ‘drape flawlessly on a woman’s curves’. Irresistible?

(You can reach the designer on larouge83@yahoo.com or call on 0738403955).

Photo credit: Photos by Ben Kiruthi for Strut It models shoot.

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