Original Story Published by: Liane Faulder for The Edmonton Journal | (Above) Image by: Ian Kucerak/Postmedia
(Above) Lorna Mutegyeki (in chair) is hosting a fashion show to preview her new line of clothing, Msichana.
Lorna Mutegyeki is conducting a cross-cultural experiment in beauty and branding that she hopes will employ — and empower — women on both sides of the planet.
The local designer and business consultant is launching her new venture — a clothing business called Msichana — throughout the weekend during a pop-up at NAIT. Shoppers or anybody interested in fashion and social enterprise are invited to visit the NAIT Centre for Applied Technology to see and touch the clothing, and to watch a fashion show. Mutegyeki will be on hand to talk about Msichana, and to fit women for her made-to-measure fashions.
The line combines North American design with high-quality, brightly patterned African cotton. There are jumpsuits, dresses, pants, skirts and jackets for women. As the business grows, Mutegyeki plans to add menswear and children’s clothes. The Msichana collection features some ready-to-wear pieces, but Mutegyeki emphasizes the best possible fit is what she is aiming for, so she is focused on custom tailoring. (She designed the bridesmaid’s outfits for her wedding, which was featured in the Journal’s Wedding Tales in March.)
Msichana (pronounced “Mishana”) means “young woman” in Swahili.
“We wanted to use Swahili because, like our brand, it’s born of a fusion of cultures,” Scheffel explains. “It’s a merging of European languages, Arab languages and African languages.”
The clothes are made by women in Uganda, where Mutegyeki was born and where her family still lives. Poverty is widespread in Uganda, and employment opportunities for women are hard to find. Mutegyeki and her sister have developed a job training program for women that also teaches literacy and financial management.
To read the full article, visit The Edmonton Journal.
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