High fashion designed with kitenge and kikoi
By Margaretta wa Gacheru
Posted Friday, October 31 2014 at 14:51
Posted Friday, October 31 2014 at 14:51
In Summary
- Eva is taking her Kenyan fashions back to Paris where she intends to put them on the global fashion map.
Eva Rogo-Levenez is one Kenyan fashion designer who has put her elegant Ler Ligisa designs onto catwalks on three continents.
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“There’s Europe,” said the Paris-based designer and managing
director of Ler Ligisa fashions who’s lived in France for more than 20
years, “Then there’s North America,” she said. Eva recently displayed
her designs during the last New York Fashion Week where she received
exceptional reviews from the city’s fashion gurus.
“And then of course, there is Africa and
specifically Kenya where I just organised my ‘Back to the Roots’ fashion
showcase at Alliance Francaise.”
Admitting that she found it harder to put together a
fashion show in Kenya than she had in Paris where facilities are more
accessible, Eva said she practically put last Saturday’s fashion show
together ‘single-handedly’ apart from working with Moses Mukiibi,
managing director of Strut It Afrika, who provided lovely, lean and
lanky models.
It was a serious challenge, she confessed, but the show itself went so well she said the labour was worth it.
“Many of my old friends were away when I arrived in
Nairobi, but I was still determined to share my designs with fellow
Kenyans,” said Eva adding she promotes Kenya while living overseas.
Her love for Kenya is manifest, she said, in her decision to only use Kenyan textiles in latest fashion line.
“I brought all my patterns from Paris and worked
closely with a Kenyan tailor with whom I cut out my designs using
kitenge and kikoi. That’s one reason why I called my show ‘Back to the
Roots’.”
The only outfit that wasn’t made with Kenyan
textiles was the chiffon wedding gown that she stitched together with
lovely Kikoi cloth to enhance the elegance of the gown’s strapless
bodice. The dress was the show-stopper of the night.
Eva’s designs included kitenge and kikoi pants and
slim-line skirts with matching jackets. She also had full length kikoi
skirts with contrasting suka-like capes with matching Maasai bead
necklaces that were also show-stealing, distinctly Kenyan in design.
Eva is taking her Kenyan fashions back to Paris
where she intends to put them on the global fashion map. In her mind,
that won’t be difficult since she already has followings in New York and
Paris.
“But I also wanted to establish myself on the
Nairobi fashion scene since I know there is a lot of local talent, both
in terms of designers and tailors [or seamstresses] as well as among
models who have the potential to be international ‘top models’ starting
right here in Kenya.”
LER Ligisa uses Kikoy, Khanga and Shuka Masai ONLY for all the outfits.
ReplyDeleteLER Ligisa has never used kitenge for any of her designs.
The wedding dress is made entirely from kikoy with an over-lapping full long skirt made from chiffon.
Designer: Eva Rogo-Levenez
www.ler-ligisa.com
LER Ligisa uses Kikoy, Khanga and Shuka Masai ONLY for all the outfits.
ReplyDeleteLER Ligisa has never used kitenge for any of her designs.
The wedding dress is made entirely from kikoy with an over-lapping full long skirt made from chiffon.
Designer: Eva Rogo-Levenez
www.ler-ligisa.com