How can you best describe your designs?
My designs are edgy and solely inspired by high fashion. Well, it’s very hard to describe it because I am a seasonal designer, I love to do limited collections. That means that my designs exist only for as long as the collection and the season but generally my forte is the men’s wear, coats, suits, pants, sweaters and even knit wear. Talking of which, I am currently into motor racing coats and military jackets.
What sort of journey has it been since you settled on being a designer?
Wow! It’s been quite a journey. I studied architecture in University! During my 2rd year, a lecturer mentioned to us that you can never be a successful architect till the age of 35 and I thought to myself, “I can’t wait that long till I succeed” so I quit immediately. I went back to school, this time to study Economics because it’s what my mother wanted me to do, in reality I used to go out to different markets, buy outfits and clothes and sell them while at school.
After school I joined efforts with videographer/photographer Jim Chuchu (member of Just A Band) and Kangai, a makeup artist to start “The plus project”, an experimental online magazine that incorporated fashion and art with video. My focus then was to conceptualize fashion ideas. The outcome was so successful that we decided to rebrand the whole project, “STINGO” Kenya’s current hottest online fashion magazine. We coined Stingo from sheng’ to mean, style. Stingo’s main objectives is to feature different Kenyan designers, models and makeup artists on every issue of the magazine, we want to give them a platform of exposure. So far so good, we have been shocked by the number of talented designers who are out here incognito, they send us emails and when we check their stuff, it’s just plain amazing! I am the designer at Stingo, Kangai and Jim retain their roles, Sunny is our stylist while Lucile is in charge of the production process. We are now looking into an online sale possibility.
Let me say that designing has always been in my heart, I can’t tell you how far ago this started, but strange enough it was until 2010 that I decided to take my career as a designer seriously! I didn’t like what I was seeing in the fashion industry. It has no structure, it’s almost next to impossible to spot established and professional photographers. There are limited Internship opportunities in this business, that shouldn’t be the case….. Local designers rarely get local stalls to stock their designs, there are no investors willing to put their money in fashion, why is it so? We don’t have a fashion week, all that inspired me to start my own line. I sat down and identified that I was into an urban style that would still be relevant in an everyday life scenario and that’s when I started making stuff. I am self taught, no one ever taught me how to sew and design. School of architecture however taught me well when it comes to design development and conceptualization, economics was obviously relevant because I am now a business man too!
You are the designer behind Sautisol famous fancy jackets and clothing, how did that come into being?
Well, their former stylist who is also my colleague, Sunny introduced them to me or vice versa. I was very glad when I found out that we (Sautisol and I) share the same target audience. It sounds funny but I think they make music for those between the ages of 16-35, I make clothes for that same audience. Among others, I made the suits they wore at their 2rd album launch, I remember meeting so many of my clients at their concert and they were all asking me when their designs would be ready, that was like a field day for me! Everything about our work relationship was a match made, I love their sense of style and they love my sense of detail. All I have to do is sit with them, listen to their ideas then conceptualize and give them the outfits you see them rocking at their shows!
How does it feel to be behind the Sautisol style that has got many in a frenzy?
Well, as strange as it may sound I don’t feel anything extraordinary, its business. Sometimes I even miss to see their pictures in the newspaper and magazines. My ultimate satisfaction is during the last fit, if they love the outfits then my work is done, that’s what makes my day! While at the same launch, I met Frasha from P-Unit and he asked to meet me, the rest is history. I am now also dressing P-Unit.
Let’s take you back to high school, compare and contrast P-Unit’s style to Sautisol’s?
Oh you should have done better than that! Well, to start with, they have nothing in common! Sautisol’s style is the classy man, they love suits and well done jackets, when they want to go overboard they do the military jackets. P-Unit on the other hand have a very distinctive style, almost extravagant, in fashion lingo. They like star studded outfits that would probably be worn only on stage. Sautisol on the other hand can wear their outfits even when off stage. Well, I like the fact that I am working with two famous bands but with different styles, I am never worried of one looking like the other.
Where do you get your materials and how long does it take to create an outfit?
Gosh, I get my stuff everywhere in this city! It depends on what the fabric feels like, I buy certain detail like the buttons separately, it’s not a one stop shop business. To be a designer, you must be able to walk around all shops no matter how high street or downtown they are, till you find what you are looking for! It takes me at least 8 hours to make a jacket, at most up to 100 hours, it depends with the urgency of the buyer. My jackets go for approximately 6,000KSH depending on the detail and work put into it. As for those asking for the cheaper versions, I do not have such! I don’t do ordinary jackets, when you come to Kepha, expect nothing less than a jacket with a special touch, you better believe it will be an overdose inside your wardrobe!
When you are not busy finishing up on a design, what do you do during your spare time?
Sleep, I just sleep!
Do you ever wear your own designs?
Yes I do, occasionally. I made a discovery about myself, I am very obsessive! When I used to wear my own designs frequently, I used to overdo it and sometimes forget that my work is to design! I have since channeled my obsessions into my work, when I like a concept, I totally get engulfed in it, I research on it till I design something out of it then after that my feeling is that I have already exploited it so I quickly move on to another adventure!
We give you the honours to try predict what the future for young upcoming designers like you will be?
Oh it’s definitely a bright one! I am 29 years of age and I think that unlike the previous generation, we are more true to ourselves. We are neither concentrating on the African designs nor the westernized ones per say, we are just about the everyday dressing and the emerging trends. You don’t have to do African designs to be an African designer, tradition is evolutionary and after all culture is becoming universal, I mean western designers are now concentrating on African designs. Whether or not I do African designs, 99% of my materials are still made in Africa! This generation of designers is out to make Africa proud while at the same time not limited to African designs, a good designer reflects their identity in an outfit no matter the materials used or the trends.
What your ultimate fashion advice to the Truth readers?
Know your style, know your body, do not follow trends blindly. If you can do that, then you will be cool!
Taking RISK seems to have been the story of your life, any last comment on that?
I just started out simply by the fact that I was fed up by what I was seeing, I wanted to do things better. I dropped one career, did another and still ended up here as a Fashion designer, a career that’s not even recognized in this country. I was against all odds, I knew that if I did this and became successful there was nothing else in this world that I wouldn’t do. Now, I dream that one day I will showcase my designs at the New York Fashion week.