-Kigali
For his latest invention, 2024 is to go down as a memorable year for Rwandan fashion designer Olivier Niyitanga, 28, as he featured at the 2024 BRICS+ Fashion Summit and the Moscow Fashion Week.
Crafted out of mesh, chiffon, and weaved crystal beads, Umuraza old Gabri with Umwashi, which are woven Rwandan art pieces of ancient style, the fashion designer, whose works are fronted under Tanga Designs, introduces the latest collection dubbed ‘IKINYEJANA; constituting mostly ladies’ and Men’s wearable outfits, where the ladies’ outfits are long robes dressings of loose flare. Tanga Designs’ ladies’ outfits are a ‘fit and flare’ style.
Being part of the unique venture that assembled various couture collections from the selected few fashion icons at the Moscow Zaryade cultural center in the new Zaryade Park recently, to Niyitanga, the two-month-long sleepless nights in weaving his designs, coupled with getting set for this showcase paid off.
Attracting over 20,000 people in attendance, the Summit featured 150 designs in exhibition by 50 Designers from Countries; Rwanda, Congo, Burundi, Sudan, Tanzania, Ghana, Gambia, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Tunisia, Cameroon, South Africa, Venezuela, Kuwait, El-Salvador, Peru, Cayman Islands, Cambodia, Laos, Costa Rica, Jordan, UAE, Iran, Indonesia, Tajikistan, Myanmar, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Fuji, Hungary, Philippines, Montenegro, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, South Korea, Russia and USA which displayed their works.
Although Tanga Designs has in recent years gained prominence mainly locally; this has been through its exclusive commissions to a few prominent Artists and top Miss Rwanda Beauty pageant finalists, the design house gained immense global prominence in 2000 during the Covid-19 lockdown where it tapped into the Digital space where it introduced the still and motion graphical images of Nyambo Azura/Inyambo fashion Collection, which adorned social media platforms; thereby attracting fashion enthusiasts. More so was the collection’s 3D technology creation which sparked more liveliness.
Through the Nyabo Azura Collection, Tanga Designs was invited to 2020 Imagine The World,’ a virtual fashion event organized by HUNDERLILY Fashion-Tech-Design, in partnership with the Fashion Week Brooklyn alongside other creatives like Sylvia Heisel, 3D Puku, Stacie Ant, Irish Latina, Alyson Murray/Cyber Tailor, VAS3D, and Emily Switzer.
The past eight years have seen Niyitanga being commissioned on various fashion projects and showcases, including Kigali Fashion Week(2015, 2016, and 2018), African Fashion Week(2018) in Ghana, and the Mercedes Fashion Week Kigali(2018).
The designer’s next move is to elevate and set Made in Rwanda onto the international level.
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