Walking down the backyard of Inema Arts Center in the afternoon hours, one was greeted by a mannequin head wrapped in one of Icyeza’s head-wraps. on the side were semi-circle arranged stands that featured different hair and skincare products with Icyeza’s products at the center. This was at the “Wraps and Locs” event held on Saturday, August 31, and organized by Icyeza. Icyeza is a company that aims at empowering women and helping them to express themselves and their beauty through head wraps and other accessories According to the CEO, Yvette Mbabazi the event aimed to bring together natural-haired and dreadlocked people. Teaching them how to wrap and celebrate their hair with different styles were also among the paramount reasons,” she added. She further explained that the event was not only meant for women as men too, could rock some head wrap styles, regardless of their hairstyle. Icyezas accessories demonstrate feminine strength. According to Mbabazi, the idea occurred to her, when she decided to rock dreadlocks in 2014. She also disclosed her strong ties with head wraps and what they mean to her. “I grew up seeing my mum wrap her hair every morning. They are a daily reminder that women are stronger and beautiful.” She reiterated: “When I wear one (head-wrap) I feel like a queen, and I want to share the feeling with my fellow women.” At the stand, people were buying the headwraps as Mbabazi kept demonstrating different beautiful headwrap styles. Julienne, one of the attendees, purchased a red deluxe African fabric wrap, to which Mbabazi quickly wrapped up on her head. Everyone was in awe as she did her magic. Julienne expressed her love for the African fabric commonly known as kitenge, saying that it had a deeper meaning towards an African Woman. “It is both a source of elegance and pride towards African Women”, she said. By evening, as the rain stopped, people were still showing up. The calm mood was being enhanced by African house music from Dj Infinity’s decks. People, cheering and laughing, were trying out different wraps and products could be heard from the gateway. This was also emphasized by motivational messages such as wear your crown and “Brave + strong”, written on other accessories like bags and t-shirts showcased by Icyeza. With those messages, she hopes to empower every girl out there and remind her of the strength she has to achieve anything regardless of all the situations holding them down. Since its inception, Icyeza has been doing pop up shops such as Wrap it Up, her debut that was held in 2018. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
