Growing up in Musanze, Maurice Niyigena never imagined that his childhood interest in fashion would one day take him to the runways of London. Back then, he was simply the family member everyone turned to for an opinion on what to wear. “They could always ask me, ‘Am I looking good?’ And once I said it was good, they could go to church or anywhere,” he recalls. What started as a habit of judging outfits gradually developed into a passion. In 2018, Niyigena realised that his eye for clothes was a talent he could turn into a career. Today, the 25-year-old is a Kigali-based fashion designer and founder of Matheo Studio, a brand through which he is exploring Rwandan storytelling, traditional craftsmanship and locally sourced materials. His journey from Musanze to the international fashion stage has not been straightforward. Unable to find the training and mentorship he needed, he taught himself fashion design through YouTube videos during the Covid-19 lockdown. ALSO READ: Stylists weigh in on fashion side of Kigali Triennial Festival In 2026, that determination took him to Africa Fashion Week London, where he made his debut with his Ntwari collection following his participation in the Creative DNA Rwanda programme, delivered by Illume Creative Studio in partnership with the British Council. He was also among eight Rwandan fashion entrepreneurs showcased at Rwanda on Regent Street in London in July. For Niyigena, the London experience was more than an opportunity to showcase his designs. It opened his eyes to international markets and strengthened his determination to build a fashion community that gives other young Rwandans the opportunities he struggled to find. Finding his way into fashion Born in Burera District, Niyigena grew up in Musanze, where he completed his primary and secondary education before moving to Kigali to pursue his ambition of establishing a fashion brand. However, finding a way into the industry proved challenging. As an aspiring designer, he struggled to identify a school, fashion club or community where he could develop his skills. “I really wanted to do it, but I didn’t know where, because I tried to find where I can join, like, I don’t know if it’s a fashion club, if it’s anything, but I couldn’t,” he recalls. He initially considered becoming a tailor, believing it would provide a practical entry point into fashion. He eventually found someone in his hometown who could teach him tailoring, but the experience lasted only two months. He felt the training did not align with the kind of fashion design he wanted to pursue. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s fashion industry eyes global reach through UK exchange Determined not to give up, Niyigena decided to teach himself, turning to YouTube tutorials to learn about fashion design and garment construction. When the Covid-19 pandemic brought lockdowns, he found himself with more time to concentrate on developing his skills. “I taught myself by watching YouTube videos. That’s basically how I learnt. Then Covid came, and I was home with nothing much to do,” he says. “The six months of lockdown was like a beginning, because that’s where I learnt everything that I really use today.” Armed with the skills he had acquired, Niyigena began building Matheo Studio, gradually developing an approach to fashion rooted in storytelling and craftsmanship. Taking Rwandan fashion to London Niyigena's breakthrough on the international fashion stage came through the Creative DNA Rwanda programme, which exposed him to new markets and different approaches to fashion. His participation in ‘Africa Fashion Week London and Rwanda on Regent Street’ gave him an opportunity to interact with international designers and explore the possibilities of taking his products beyond Rwanda. “It was an amazing experience, honestly. Looking at what other designers are doing, especially UK designers, opened my eyes to the new market and seeing the possibilities, not necessarily thinking of selling to only Rwandans,” he says. The experience encouraged him to reconsider how he was positioning his brand and what he could achieve through international collaborations. He returned to Rwanda determined to make changes to his business and explore new opportunities for growth. “I came back and I was like, no...I need to change it right now,” he recalls. His international exposure also reinforced his ambition to develop a creative space that benefits not only fashion designers but also artisans, models and photographers. “I’m really, really trying to have a creative space where all those artisans, all those models, photographers, those ones, they can be seen and be recognised.” Fashion that tells Rwandan stories For Niyigena, fashion is more than making attractive clothes. Through Matheo Studio, he wants to create garments that carry meaning, celebrate people and tell stories. ALSO READ: 'It is their basic right to dream': Umutoni's vision for youth, culture and Rwanda's creative future From the beginning, he was determined that his brand would go beyond the conventional business of cutting and sewing clothes. “I wanted to tell a story through fashion, and I knew I couldn’t do it if my shop was just going to be cutting and sewing,” he says. He wants customers to feel connected to the people and experiences behind each piece. “When you wear my piece, I want you to feel like you have people behind you, you have stories you are sharing. You have people’s lives, you know, you are celebrating.” This philosophy explains his preference for handwork, even when some elements of a garment could be produced using machines. For him, incorporating handmade details adds meaning and value to the finished product while recognising the artisans whose skills contribute to its creation. His collaboration with local women began in 2023, when he struggled to find people capable of producing the handwork required for his designs. He began working with women in his neighbourhood, some of whom had previously depended on casual jobs, including construction and agricultural work. Starting with a team of three, he gradually expanded the studio. Today, the team comprises 10 people, bringing together artisans and other creatives involved in producing his collections. Niyigena hopes to extend these opportunities beyond his own brand by enabling other designers to access the studio's hand-stitching and craftsmanship services. Building the creative community he never had Niyigena’s early struggles to find training and mentorship left a lasting impression on him. As his brand grew, he began thinking about how he could make the journey easier for other young people interested in fashion and the wider creative industry. That ambition inspired Matheo Creative Hub, an initiative he is developing alongside Matheo Studio to bring together aspiring designers, artisans and other creatives. ALSO READ: How a tailor’s son drew inspiration to empower vulnerable female artisans “As an artist starting up, it wasn’t really easy. One of the things that I faced was finding a community which was in the same environment, the same ecosystem that I really wanted to show in, or maybe that I felt like I had interest in, and I couldn’t find that,” he says. He believes access to a supportive creative community can help young people develop their talents through mentorship, collaboration and access to tools. “If you are in a community where you feel like that’s the way I have interest, the talent can be easily developed because you are free to access tools, to access people, to access mentors,” he explains. His vision is to create a space where emerging creatives can connect, learn from one another and find opportunities to develop their skills. He hopes the hub will become a launching pad for a new generation of designers, providing the support he lacked when starting out. “For me, having this Creative Hub, it’s going to be a starting journey for the next, I don’t know, five years’ generation of designers, because I know that what I didn’t get at the time, they can get it from here now.” Giving local materials a global identity Although Niyigena sources some fabrics from Nigeria, Italy and China, he is increasingly interested in incorporating locally produced materials into his designs. He believes Rwandan designers can create products with international appeal by adding value to materials available at home. “For me, my job as a designer is to take materials from here and add value to them, because that’s what a designer does,” he says. Much of his recent collection incorporates Made in Rwanda fabrics, including a jacket he presented during his international showcases. ALSO READ: Untapped potential: How can Rwanda’s fashion industry fully leverage international market? He also works with local artists to source accessories such as buttons, extending the contribution of Rwandan craftsmanship to the finer details of his garments. His approach reflects a desire to produce clothing that celebrates local creativity while appealing to customers beyond Rwanda. For Niyigena, the ideal customer is someone who wants to feel confident and stand out through what they wear. “I only target the people who really want to feel good, to look fabulous,” he says. What Rwanda’s fashion industry needs Despite his progress, Niyigena believes Rwanda’s fashion industry still faces challenges that need to be addressed if it is to contribute more meaningfully to the creative economy. One of the biggest gaps, he says, is the lack of a clear structure connecting designers, artisans and other professionals working in the sector. He believes better coordination would make it easier to identify existing talent, assess the needs of industry players and provide appropriate support. “We need to have a structure where everyone is recognised, where everybody is and what I’m doing. Because with that, you can assess what they need easily, what they have, what they are lacking.” He also identifies professional training as an important area for improvement. Although tailoring skills are available, he argues that producing high-quality fashion garments requires specialised training that aspiring designers cannot always access. “You will find some tailors out here, but really they are not trained professionally to produce fashion garments,” he says. Having experienced these challenges himself, Niyigena believes expanding access to fashion education, mentorship and creative communities could help the industry develop. Opening doors for the next generation Niyigena encourages young Rwandans interested in fashion to pursue their ambitions, pointing to digital platforms as valuable tools for connecting with established designers and discovering opportunities. Unlike when he was starting out, he believes aspiring creatives now have more ways to reach people working in the industry and learn from their experiences. “For someone who really wants to enter this industry, especially the Rwandan fashion industry, for me I would encourage them because it’s one of the growing industries here,” he says. However, he cautions that pursuing a career in fashion requires commitment and genuine passion, particularly when opportunities are limited. “I would encourage them, but also remind them to stay locked in for their passion,” he says. ALSO READ: UK retail firm opens doors to Rwanda's emerging fashion brands For Niyigena, the journey from Musanze to London's fashion runways represents more than personal achievement. Through Matheo Studio and Matheo Creative Hub, he wants to create a lasting platform where Rwandan craftsmanship can gain wider recognition and young creatives can access the support they need to build their careers. Having struggled to find his own way into the industry, he hopes the next generation will have an easier path to follow.
