Nanfuka wins 2015 Seed Fashion Award

By Stella Nassuna
 
Ten young fashion designers, one runway. And Olivia Nanfuka beat them all to scoop the Seed Fashion Show Award of the year 2015.

After months of hard work, the Ugandan version of Project Runway (Seed Fashion Show), mastermind by Ras Kasozi in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy and Global Livingston Institute, hosted the second of its kind event that supports fashion entrepreneurship in Uganda.

For fair competition, each designer was tasked to create an outfit inspired by the U.S Mission in Uganda, which are peace, security, education, health care, economy and unity.

According to the judges of the night, Ras Kasozi, Sylvia Owori and Patricia Mahoney, Deputy Chief of Mission, Nanfuka was the most talented young designer of the ten.

"Her outfit had a bit of creativity, and delicate intricate design," Mahoney said.

Kasozi said, "She took an inexpensive fabric and made it look rich."

She worked with satin, but she turned the fabric inside out, and came up with a unique polished fabric.

Nanfuka will get a chance to be featured on the US Embassy's Facebook page that has a fan base of about 140,000, and also get chance to design outfits for the embassy diplomats that they will wear to high profile events; including getting mentorship program with Kasozi.

Born in a family of six, Nanfuka lost her brother early this year. She has attended Makerere University's Margaret Trowel school of Art and Design, and is soon to graduate from the University of St. Lawrence in Industrial Art and Design.

Nanfuka was raised by a single mother, and she boasts about her mother's amazing support that helped her get this win.

Other designers that participated included Sharon Nantege, Dorah Balungi, Emmanuel Otim, Ritah Nalwoga, Brenda Akulep, Pauline Apolot, Rachael Nassolo, Peter Mugisha, and Nicholas Katamba