It is hard to tell if, without fashion event organizers and planners, the fashion industry would be alive as it is today. The journey of Made In Rwanda in fashion had been a struggle for fashion designers especially to get raw materials easily as a landlocked country but so far so good here we are now. Read  30 Rwandan Fashion Designers To Visit In Kigali - Their #Instagram Accounts

PHOTO: Collective Rwanda’s Fashion Week held at the School of Architecture and Built Environment in Camp Kigali on June 8, 2019

 “Every one of them wants and fights for showcasing when the guest of honor has already arrived. The CollectiveRw team members as they are all fashion designers, they are competing with each other and even some of them copy ideas from others and call them their innovations. To be honest, it is hard to say but  some fashion designers are looking more and unnecessary” said XZ

Even though things seem to be okay for the fashion industry in Rwanda, according to how many established fashion designers are in Rwanda. Some fashion lovers see an unnecessary race and competition among local fashion designers as well as fashion entrepreneurs, especially fashion show organizers. This story is based on the experience and ideas shared by a fashion lover and a follower of www.rcfs.rw ‘s website. Whose names are changed due to his religion, the Interviewee wanted to break out the silence on the matters that had been happening between various fashion events in Rwanda "where fashion events organizers are in the battle race" XZ called. 

The person with the given name XZ  wanted to share with our readers his experiences by working with most of the biggest fashion events in Rwanda which include Kigali Fashion Week, Rwanda Cultural Fashion Show, CollectiveRw/Rwanda Fashion Week, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Kigali, Rwanda Modesty Fashion Show and many others.

"If you look closer, you will find that the Kigali Fashion Week was weakened by CollectiveRw because those people maybe did not feel like working with Mr. John Bunyeshuli. There are some rumors that some of them were first supported by him while trying to learn how the Rwanda fashion industry was working between 2013-2014 as some of them were coming from the Diaspora but later they left to form CollectiveRw which has been supported by the RDB- Rwanda Development Board » said XZ

PHOTO: John Bunyeshuli CEO & Founder of the Kigali Fashion Week 

Besides experiences and ideas shared by XZ in this story, our team also investigated some sources to find out if what the interviewee has shared is true or if it is emotions from the love he loves for the fashion industry besides himself being a fashion entrepreneur. To start the RCFS’s Media asked him: 

• Why are you sharing these ideas and experiences?

There are many reasons I am sharing these ideas and experiences. First, let's not take it as a political interview because I love fashion and fashion is all about love and happiness on what you are wearing. It doesn't matter how much you use to purchase your clothes as long as you are happy with your style. It is hard to describe the fashion industry in Rwanda but what we all know and are aware of is how second-hand clothes continue to compete with made in Rwanda.

Second, If we want to build a strong and sustainable fashion industry, this is the right time to talk all the truth for future generations and young people who are investing heavily in fashion and modeling agencies. We can't be selfish to the point where we don't want any other fashion events to take place in Kigali, only one event..? nono

XZ continues by saying that it is so embarrassing when you see some fashion designers in Rwanda call themselves professional designers as if they went to study fashion in a school or have a specific background in the fashion and textiles industry.

In 2018 I was surprised when I was in a meeting with members of the ColleciveRw/Rwanda Fashion Week, to hear their views outside their team members. They pretend to not know any other fashion designers in Rwanda only themselves. Another interesting point but very embarrassing they see no other fashion events in Rwanda besides theirs. To me, I Know Kigali Fashion Week and RCFS are among the first fashion events to open doors in Rwanda. I was wondering why they don't see these events.

Another thing is maybe 40% of CollectiveRw fashion designers let’s say went to fashion school or received short courses about fashion design. But it was not convincing according to me when you are in the fashion industry for not even 5 years and you start calling yourself a professional designer and you even start judging others' creations. And call them fake fabrics because they are not able to have a chance like you who have relatives in Paris, London, or the USA who can easily send you any fabrics on your order. To me, it is very bad selfishness among some fashion designers we have in Rwanda.

PHOTO: Rwandan designer Sonia Mugabo on a runway at a past Rwanda Fashion Week show. 

Our journalist asked him to prove that ColleciveRw / Rwanda Fashion Week does not intend to collaborate with other fashion designers outside themselves.

You don't need to go far to see examples: let's start with fashion designers such as Rwanda Clothing, Patrick Muhire by Inkanda House,  Rupari Designs,  Uzuri K & Y, and many more. These are fashion designers who haven't been showcasing in their events. Do you think they don't want to, no it is because they are not members of this crew. I can only say that these designers, I have mentioned can at least call themselves professionals. They started this industry in 2010 and even struggled to keep it alive before others joined. 

Don't tell me that if you want to build a bigger event or stronger fashion industry, you need to rebrand what you have so that you can capture all fashion events in the country. Look, why did they start the Rwanda Fashion Week 2022? Is it because of CHOGM? We already have more than 5 fashion shows here in Kigali. Why they started a new event and name it the way it is named?

Because they want to show that there is no other fashion event in Rwanda besides Rwanda Fashion Week which is again selfishness and discourages some young fashion entrepreneurs who are starting small fashion shows and even young and upcoming fashion designers who can’t be invited to those events of theirs. 

PHOTO: Rwanda Fashion Week 2022

Our journalist asked XZ that some of mentioned fashion designers who are not showcasing in the ColleciveRw / Rwanda Fashion Week, already have their association called "Rwanda Fashion Designers Association". 

• Don’t you think this is the reason for them not inviting these other fashion designers to showcase in ColleciveRw shows?

No these are two different things; fashion designers always need visibility and a platform to help them sell their products. All events had been organized by ColleciveRw were always bigger and even they get support from some public institutions like Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and the Visit Rwanda campaign.

According to me, these opportunities should be available to all local fashion designers not a group of fashion designers. Instead, other fashion designers who are not their members or in their crew don’t really have big fashion shows to showcase their products besides small shows, and some independent fashion designers have organized themselves for their small number of clients or are lucky to attend international fashion events. I believe that this is the response from the RDB or any other public institution like the Ministry of Youth and Culture maybe but it won't be easy to reach. 

According to XZ the fashion designers who own fashion events in Rwanda work very hard. However, it is hard to tell if they really sell much. He added that because all of the CollectiveRw fashion designers’ team are fashion designers and same time fashion event organizers, each one of them wants to showcase when the venue is full especially when the guests of honor already have arrived. 

• Can you tell us some examples of when the collective struggled to start their event on time because the guest of honor was not there yet? Were you working with them in that event?

I can tell you more than one example, let’s take the CollectiveRw/Rwanda Fashion Week of 2017, I was working with them, the event was good and many people showed up. It was well advertised and they got a lot of support from all over. But in backstage, before the event starts some of the fashion designers were discussing how happy they were to have the guest of honor coming to their edition but the guest of honor was not there yet. They were supposed to start on time but kept waiting.

While waiting, I heard two of the fashion designers on the other side saying that they were not happy with the showcasing list made. One of the two said that they do (leaders of their team) this every time we have a public guest of honor. Of course, I was there even in the 2018 and 2019 editions, and what I am saying is the truth you can ask anyone will tell you, even models will tell you that in their backstage there is always competition for who to showcase first or after. The 2018 edition was in the Radisson Blu, you could see some sad faces of some of their fashion designers because of the list of who is the first to showcase - in the middle or who is the last.

PHOTO: Teta Isibo with Linda Ndungutse at Radisson Blu- Kigali 

• What do you think is missing for the RDB to work with the Kigali Fashion Week and other fashion shows events?

To be honest I don't see what is missing for the Kigali Fashion Week, this event did a lot in the fashion industry in Rwanda. The event promoted many models and local fashion designers. I don't know if Mr. John is a bad luck man or if there is something I don’t know but the RDB should value all fashion events we have in Rwanda.

Yes, some people say that John is a very hard person to work with but I don't see this as an issue, especially someone we all know that he proved what he and his team can do to organize more than 5 big fashion events. Let’s say Mr. John has been missing connection and some networking and even recommendations locally because if you look at the situation, CollectiveRw has more than they need.  Even some of its fashion designers members are from high families where they know what is happening in terms of upcoming events in Rwanda like Kwita Izina and other big conferences where the RDB has the key for who to work with especially hosting side fashion events.  

PHOTO: Kigali Fashion Week 2017

You said that CooletiveRw/ Rwanda Fashion Week does not want to collaborate with other fashion designers. But we saw them with other local fashion designers in their recent Rwanda Fashion Week that took place during the CHOGM 2022. 

• Don't you see that CollectiveRw is willing to collaborate with other local fashion designers?

"No that is not true, I like that you have mentioned the CHOGM 2022.  That was not just an event like their normal events. It was a global event and the CollectiveRw team was working with other institutions to prepare the event as it involved even international fashion designers. They had no choice for who to invite but yes they had a choice as they had a whole project in their hand, especially on the side of Rwanda. Even in that event, I was there, I saw how they were doing in choosing models because every one of them wanted known models for their collections. 

PHOTO: Rwanda Fashion Week 2022, Kigali, 23 June,  (Photos by Moise Niyonzima)

•  Why did not we see CollectiveRw fashion designers showcasing the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Kigali events?

Let me tell you, Danny is not really known well. He got a good fashion event brand by the way I didn't know him till 2015 when I saw him taking a picture in the RCFS 2015 at Mille Colline Hotel. I know he also worked with the Kigali Fashion Week but he is not ready to convince the CollectiveRw fashion designers as far as I know. Man if Bunyeshuli did not convince these people who else is going to convince them to showcase in his or her event? No one, even you guys in the RCFS. I heard that something happened to you in 2018 and you were toasted because of them having an event the same day as you and the event same location.

 I would tell Danny (Ndayishimiye Daniel the organizer of Mercedes-BenzFashion Week Kigali ) to keep his event alive and his effort not to lose his time running after people who will not value him but yes he can approach them and see how it goes.

PHOTO: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Kigali- 2022

PHOTO: Danny Ndayishimiye Coordinator of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Kigali

TO BE CONTINUED…

RCFS's Media