'Umwitero' puts Turahirwa in fashion limelight

Fashion designer and model, Moses Turahirwa’s most outstanding piece is the Umwitero, a cloth that hangs over the shoulder like the Umushanana (traditional dress). The Umwitero used to be made from animal hides or back cloth and is arguably a timeless garb as Rwandans have been donning it for years; it is Turahirwa’s main inspiration. His outfits, which are also influenced by African print and imagination, have earned him recognition in the fashion fraternity both locally and regionally. The 24-year-old is a two-time nominee at tomorrow’s Abryanz Style & Fashion Awards in Kampala, Uganda, and he also showcased at last week’s Swahili Fashion Week in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. According to the budding designer, fashion is in his blood; he was born in Nyamasheke in the Northern Province in a family of five and grew to like the art after inspiration from his uncle who is a tailor. Turahirwa took on sewing but now, he makes the designs and gives them to tailors to put together. He has worked on a few projects with his uncle who he says can only sew but not design. The graduate from the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre (IPRC), Kicukiro, started modeling in 2009 while still a student at St.Kizito Technical School, after picking interest from TV. He has participated in fashion shows at school (he was Mr. IPRC 2014), like the Kigali Fashion Week and the Friday Fashion Show. He started designing in 2013, making drawings and acting as a fashion consultant for his friends. However, he launched his first collection at the Kigali Fashion Week in July 2014 and it stood out. He has since showcased at social events like Diner en Blanc. Ugandan socialite Judith Heard, Ugandan singer Michael Ross and former Namibian Big Brother Hotshot Permithias, and contemporary dancer Wesley Ruzibiza Macari have donned his Umwitero. He makes costumes for videos, photo shoots, dancers, and ready-to-wear outfits are made on demand. The designer, however, says the industry faces a challenge as music has copy cats, which he calls “unprofessional and uncreative.” “It’s limiting the industry’s growth,” he says. However, he says the number of young people joining fashion as models and designers is encouraging. “We have plenty of designers and new ones every day. We even have designers from upcountry, but now we have designers from Gitarama, from Ruhengeri, from Rubavu, there’s competition all over and people are being more and more creative,” he adds. His outfits are designed under his brand Moshions (Moses Fashions) which he started in 2013. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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'Umwitero' puts Turahirwa in fashion limelight