Santa Anzo becomes a goodwill ambassador to the world fashion exhibition

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The Ugandan fashion scene has been relatively quiet since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. There has been a scattering of fashion shows, but nothing major. All the fashion weeks that were once regular and made the industry vibrant have not taken place.

But veteran designer Santa Anzo, founder of the Arapapa Fashion House, has not sat on her laurels. Fresh off showcasing at the Thai-Silk Fashion Week in Bangkok, alongside such global fashion icons as British designer Jimmy Choo, and which event was shown on Fashion TV Worldwide, Santa was appointed a goodwill ambassador to the World Fashion Exhibition (WFE).

“I am deeply honoured to accept my appointment,” Anzo said. “This appointment is both humbling and inspiring, and affirms nearly three decades of my journey in fashion and a belief that Africa’s creative spirit is a force for global transformation.”

The World Fashion Exhibition is a global platform uniting designers, artists, and social innovators to promote sustainable couture, cultural diversity, and humanitarian impact. These include supporting clean water access, women’s empowerment, and sustainable community development through fashion.

In a statement released late last month, the WFE said Anzo’s appointment recognised her contribution to transforming Uganda’s fashion landscape and her dedication to sustainability, women’s empowerment, and cultural authenticity.

As Goodwill Ambassador, Anzo is tasked to promote sustainable fashion, support empowerment programs for women and children, and help create international awareness for WFE’s mission to provide safe water access in vulnerable communities.

Anzo started her fashion journey in 1999 when she worked with Sylvia Owori’s Ziper Models. She left Ziper two years later and formed Arapapa, which means butterfly in the Madi language. She also launched the Uganda Fashion Week in 2003.

“I reaffirm my commitment to advancing the WFE’s mission of empowering women, promoting sustainability, and bringing clean water and dignity to communities across Africa,” Anzo told the New Vision. “We will use the language of fashion, a universal language of creativity, innovation, and identity, to spark hope, opportunity, and impact where it is needed most. I look forward to collaborating with fellow visionaries, designers, and changemakers to amplify Africa’s creative excellence on the world stage.”