We are thrilled to bring you another exciting edition of ‘How I got started’ and this time, we will be hosting it on Zoom with a power pair of creatives that enjoy creating amazing handmade crafts such as resort wear, swimwear, and garments with wool. In this edition, our co-hosts will be sharing details on crocheting and the use of wool in their collections
Akoth Otieno and Edwin Okolo will host this edition and they’ll be in ‘Fashversation’ about their creative journeys, major milestones, pain points and opportunities as crochet designers.
The Event
The purpose of the event is to inspire and empower African startups in the creative industry with insights into the process of exceptional brand owners in starting up and running successful brands.
Meet the Co-Hosts
AKOTH OTIENO, FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, OLISA KENYA
Akoth Otieno is the founder and creative director of Olisa Kenya, an eponymous bespoke knitwear brand that was founded in 2017. With a love for vibrant colour, crochet lace and the ability to create beauty from chaos and clash, she celebrates modern femininity a garment at a time.
A graduate of law from the University of Nairobi, Akoth underwent textile design and weaving training that later inspired her love for slow fashion and craftsmanship. She refers to this radical professional change as a personal liberation of sorts, a process of decoding herself. Her love of travel and the weird and wonderful possibilities of colour, wool and contradiction meant that the fast fashion industry wasn’t a viable route for her entry into the fashion world. Channelling her love and passion for handcrafted pieces and drawing inspiration from travel and the female form, she celebrates the adventurous woman through figure-flattering silhouettes and attention to detail.
EDWIN OKOLO, CREATIVE DIRECTOR STUDIO IMO
Edwin Okolo is a writer, journalist and storyteller. He is interested in the intersections of gender identity, feminism, social justice and cultural evolution. He spends inordinate amounts of time researching contemporary African culture and exploring contemporary African fashion through knitwear. He worked as the editor of The Other Style Magazine, a fashion criticism website before moving to serve as the in-house culture critic for the Native Magazine, a counter-culture media organization with a focus on documenting black queer youth subcultures in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
From there he moved to his current position as the content strategist for Clout, a music-focused startup. Edwin has bylines in Vogue, The New York Times, BBC, African Arguments and Culture Custodian. He is working on a new collection.
Who is this event for?
- Emerging designers looking to translate their unique perspective into creatively designed, crochet fashion pieces.
- Aspiring and existing crochet designers
- Existing designers interested in the use of wool and crocheting.
What to Expect
Gist and ideas that can transform your business and how you design.
Register here to attend
The event is Free!!
Platform: ZOOM
Date: Friday 18th June, 2021
Time: 5pm WAT | 4pm GMT | 6pm CAT