Kenya’s hottest heritage brand KIKOROMEO takes to the runway at Lagos Fashion Week
KIKOROMEO hits the runway tonight with its Spring Summer 2019 collection at Lagos Fashion Week. Although not new to Nigeria, this is the first time the heritage brand from Kenya is showing at the official Lagos Fashion Week.
KIKOROMEO, which means “Adams Apple” in Swahili, is based in Nairobi, Kenya. Having over 2 decades of design heritage, the brand is known for its timeless slow fashion pieces, which transcend fashion trends and show a perfection in fit. Adopting a sustainable approach in everything it does, the brand works with urban and rural Kenyan and refugee artisans, encouraging them to constantly improve the quality of their products, and truly believes and adheres to a Made in Africa policy.
Iona McCreath, who has a degree in Sociology from London School of Economics and has a foundation diploma in Art and Design from Central Saint Martin’s just joined the brand. Speaking about this latest collection Iona said, “I’ve tried to add a contemporary twist to the classic KIKOROMEO, through keen attention to styling. I love the looks, and I’m enjoying bringing a fresh eye to this quintessentially Kenyan brand”. She is giving the brand a fresh interpretation, collaborating with hip hop artists such as musician Blinky Bill from Kenya and visual artist Papi from Senegal. These are both new generation artists at the front of the cutting edge of their industry, just as KIKOROMEO too is positioning itself at the cutting edge of contemporary fashion.
The hues of KIKOROMEO’s SS2019 menswear collection draw inspiration from the places where regal sands meet the vibrant oceans all around the African continent. Filled with golden browns to slate greys, accented with dusty beiges and sunshine yellows, with shades of marine blue that trail through all pieces. The silhouettes include lightweight jackets, hand-painted shirts, suits and a stand-out scaled shirt as well as signature overalls for men and women, which are currently worn by the likes of Mr Eazi and Blinky Bill.
EDITOR’S NOTES:
Art, music and crafting are at the heart of the KIKOROMEO DNA. The brand is now immersed in reinventing its own textiles, as it did at inception, moving away from commercial prints into hand-dyed and hand painted textiles. These original patterned fabrics are done in collaboration with a young Kenyan textile designer Rachel Wanyutu, as well as the brand founder herself Ann McCreath. Ann has been exploring textile art, influenced by visual artist Onyis Martin amongst others, while Iona McCreath is taking over the creative direction of the clothing.
KIKOROMEO was founded in Kenya in 1996 by fashion designer Ann McCreath. Now co-designed by her daughter Iona, it is situated in the Kobo Art Centre, at 523 Riara Rd in Nairobi.
FOR MORE:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KikoRomeoAfrica
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For more info contact in Kenya: Anyiko PR Tel +254 721 368 983 | Whatsapp +254 770 360 087
For more info contact in Nigeria: Lehle Balde Tel only +234 812 587 675 | pr@kikoromeo.com