Fashion iCons that have shaped the Uganda Fashion Industry

More young people are joining the growing fashion industry in Uganda with alot of promising fashion designers, models, fashion stylists, fashion writers and more. However today we chose those whose art, opinions and actions have inspired the fashion industry.

The people on this list have been in the industry and they have influenced the way people think about fashion and they have been able to change the mindsets of how people perceive fashion at large with their art and creativity in the past years, while inspiring and building the foundation for the future. Here is our laid up list from MySpot Magazine.

SYLVIA OWORI

You can not talk about fashion and not mention the name Sylvia Owori. One of the most powerful fashion icons that Uganda is thankful to have. Sylvia Owori has inspired the fashion industry in this generation. She looks at fashion as a human being's way of communicating with the world and for every collection, she celebrates the African heritage and she has managed to keep up the style and African cultures as a priority for every collection she puts out there. She has inspired and employed a lot of people in the past years and i won't be wrong if i name her "Mother of Fashion”.

GLORIA WAVAMUNNO

We love fashion weeks don't we? Here is the icon that has given us a week to celebrate fashion in Uganda. Kampala fashion week is the platform that has created opportunities for more Ugandan fashion designers and models since 2014, bringing them together to showcase their art alongside international designers. Gloria Wavamunno also created the Uganda Fashion Council to promote all aspects of arts and bringing together creatives of fashion as a way to move the industry Further.

JORAM MUZIRA JOB

Joram model management has grown into Uganda's leading model management and agency. We have seen models like Aamito Lagum, Patricia Akello, Paul Mwesigwa, Aliet Sarah and more Ugandan faces on international runways and international placements and all the credit go back to Joram for playing a big role of inspiring, motivating, and grooming a strong foundation for them while letting Ugandans know that modeling is not just a hobby, but rather a career that can earn you a living . No doubt we now believe that modeling can be such a turning point if it is well managed, and Joram model management (JMM) has raised the bar so high for the industry both locally and internationally grooming models for their dream career and walking on international showcases like Gucci,Kenzo,Givenchy and so much more.

AHUMUZA BRIAN

The best place to celebrate fashion and showcase creativity is at the "Abryanz Style and fashion awards". Ahumuza Brian commonly known as Abryan is the fashion mogul and inspiration behind the fashion event of every year that celebrates, awards, and recognises people that put an effort in growing the fashion industry in Africa, bringing together fashionistas, fashion designers, and everyone in the fashion industry to celebrate each other. He is Uganda's most celebrated male stylist in the fashion industry owning one of the biggest Abryanz Collection at garden city Kampala. ASFAs has grown into the biggest fashion event in the country and in Africa which has found him sharing moments with Jidenna, Mafikizolo, Boity, David Ttale among others and connected with brands like Ciroc, MAC cosmetics, Isuzu, South African airways which has boosted Ugandan fashion industry in different parts of the world. Ahumuza Brian later on introduced the fashionpreneur summit and business workshop that is set to inspire and empower young people in the fashion industry to find their creative and entrepreneurial fervour.

BRENDA NANYONJO

The name sounds familiar right? Miss B is the unsung hero behind the MISS UGANDA WORLD and Miss Uganda foundation. Apart from being the Queen mother we celebrate her as one of the stylists that have greatly succeeded in the Ugandan fashion industry. Back in the days, Brenda Nanyonjo was known for styling most the fashion story features in woman magazine. Brenda has inspired young girls to change the world and she has changed the perspective of how people viewed miss Uganda and we must agree that miss Uganda has become one of the biggest flag bearers for the industry especially when Queen Abenakyo won the crown Miss World Africa under the mentorship of this fearless woman. Without forgetting her Miss B denim line that was launched early 2016 to cater for the women with curves.

SANTA ANZO Santa Anzo is one of the most celebrated legends in the fashion industry running her fashion brand "Arapapa fashion house" which for a long time has been an outstanding fashion house. Santa Anzo is also the founder and president of international fashion week an annual fashion exhibition and showcase supporting young fashion designers. She has been an inspirational figure to so many fashion designers both in Uganda and all around the world. For the past 17 years, Santo Anzo has raised the bar so high for the industry, from being a model, owning modelling agency Arapapa Models and up to date a successful fashion designer with a lot of appreciation awards and Features on CNN,BBC,SBC Africa and so many international recognition, this fashion hero deserves a legendary award, for empowering our fashion industry.

STELLA ATAL What is fashion without drawings, sketches and a lot more of arts? Not for a moment can we forget the amazing Ugandan painter and fashion designer based in Paris, Stella Atal the founder of " Atal Fashion House, Paris". Atal Stella has always picked inspiration from what is locally available, including eco-friendly, natural and re-cycled materials hence always producing unique wearable outfits, this has inspired a lot of young designers to think outside the box to create originality. Her art and craft on fabric has built her brand on an international level attracting attention for the Ugandan fashion industry. She as well lectures art and fashion to students.

AAMITO STACIE LAGUM

Aamito is a huge inspirational to many young girls after emerging winner in the African top model back in 2013 which changed her life for good. Aamito has built her brand both home (Uganda) and international. Having been the first JMM model to be signed in the international market from Uganda, this gave hope to young people that were aspiring to be models.

PRINCESS ELIZABETH BAGAYA

Princess Bagaya, has a successful story in the fashion industry. She's one of the young girls that believed in modelling back in the days. She was the first black woman to appear on the cover of harper's Bazaar magazine in the 1974. She modelled in famous fashion shows and featured in popular magazines including British Vogue, Queen magazine, Vogue America, Ebony, Life Magazine and more others. To this day we still celebrate her as a fashion icon for paving way for the fashion industry in Uganda and in Africa at large.

BRENDA MARAKA

She has dressed Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o, and also Phiona Mutesi for the premier of Queen of Katwe and also dressed miss Uganda contestants, and miss tourist among others. In the past years Brenda has established herself as a simple person with a fashion line that cuts across boarders. She's the Founder of malengo foundation and pink catwalk a runway, that encourages people living with disability to be bold enough to embrace fashion and for the past years the pink catwalk has surely inspired stories of models and designers with disability storming the industries with boldness.

These may not only be the fashion figures that ought to be celebrated because surely, there are legends, mentors, and industry shakers out there that need to be celebrated everyday. This was our personal list, feel free to add your icon on the list.