Barkcloth, nytil to hit headlines in London
Believe it or not, barkcloth and Jinja (natural cotton from Nytil) are going to make headlines in London! Local designer Stella Atal has been short-listed to showcase her collection at the next London Fashion week.
By Titus Serunjogi
Believe it or not, barkcloth and Jinja (natural cotton from Nytil) are going to make headlines in London! Local designer Stella Atal has been short-listed to showcase her collection at the next London Fashion week.
The designer, who is in her 20s, owns a fashion studio in Bukoto. Before, Atal has been known for designing stunning outfits for Hugh Masekela, Juliana Kanyomozi and Blu*3. But today Atal is prepared to woo Londoners with a selection of cutting-edge designer clothes that she has made from barkcloth, Jinja, cow horn beads as well as scraps of fabric collected from tailors’ trash bins.
“Whoever sees these clothes will want to buy them! I think they are stunning and they will look good on anyone whether he or she is going to the office, to an evening party, to a wedding, to the beach or just out on the streets for a casual walk.
Yes, I want to show the world that even the barkcloth, Jinja and tailors’ scrap can be used to make trendy clothes,†says Atal. She is the first-ever Uganda to be selected for a stint at the UK’smost prestigious catwalk show. She will showcase alongside world famous designers from the UK, France, the US, Israel and India.
Atal’s selection for the London fashion week was a result of her coming up in the second position at the London Ethical Fashion Awards.
The event was held in Shoreditch, London on November 13. Made, a South African fashion designer won the top prize. However, Uganda made such a serious impact at the awards that, following Atal’s much applauded example, several fashion designer strutted organic Ugandan fabrics on the catwalk. Preen, Allegra Hicks, Zandra Rhodes and Vivienne Westwood, all top fashion designers in Europe applauded Atal’s debut in London.
So, they too, along with Atal, will be showcasing high-end couture made out of barkcloth, kikoy, raffia, Jinja cotton and cow horn beads at the London fashion week, February 21-24, 2009.
Atal has always been a recognisable figure on the fashion scene. She has not only showcased at the Uganda International fashion week and designed clothes for many local celebrities but she has also represented Uganda at fashion galas in the US, Holland and Spain. She has also been such a big seller abroad and one of her clients is Bono, a famous rock musician and activist with U2.
“When I see someone smart, I get inspired to make him look more stylish, but in natural organic fabrics or recycled scraps of cloth,†she says.
“Many of my designs are handmade in prints that imitate the fish, the lizard, the flowing rivers and other symbols that shout out about passion, peace and diversity.â€
Her designs are often an explosion of colours, unique fabrics, prints and symbols that are all so artistically and visually stimulating.
The fashion week will be her second catwalk show in London. Brighter things seem to be set on the horizon for her as she takes barkcloth and other Ugandan organic fabrics to the UK fashion stores.
Believe it or not, barkcloth and Jinja (natural cotton from Nytil) are going to make headlines in London! Local designer Stella Atal has been short-listed to showcase her collection at the next London Fashion week.
The designer, who is in her 20s, owns a fashion studio in Bukoto. Before, Atal has been known for designing stunning outfits for Hugh Masekela, Juliana Kanyomozi and Blu*3. But today Atal is prepared to woo Londoners with a selection of cutting-edge designer clothes that she has made from barkcloth, Jinja, cow horn beads as well as scraps of fabric collected from tailors’ trash bins.
“Whoever sees these clothes will want to buy them! I think they are stunning and they will look good on anyone whether he or she is going to the office, to an evening party, to a wedding, to the beach or just out on the streets for a casual walk.
Yes, I want to show the world that even the barkcloth, Jinja and tailors’ scrap can be used to make trendy clothes,†says Atal. She is the first-ever Uganda to be selected for a stint at the UK’smost prestigious catwalk show. She will showcase alongside world famous designers from the UK, France, the US, Israel and India.
Atal’s selection for the London fashion week was a result of her coming up in the second position at the London Ethical Fashion Awards.
The event was held in Shoreditch, London on November 13. Made, a South African fashion designer won the top prize. However, Uganda made such a serious impact at the awards that, following Atal’s much applauded example, several fashion designer strutted organic Ugandan fabrics on the catwalk. Preen, Allegra Hicks, Zandra Rhodes and Vivienne Westwood, all top fashion designers in Europe applauded Atal’s debut in London.
So, they too, along with Atal, will be showcasing high-end couture made out of barkcloth, kikoy, raffia, Jinja cotton and cow horn beads at the London fashion week, February 21-24, 2009.
Atal has always been a recognisable figure on the fashion scene. She has not only showcased at the Uganda International fashion week and designed clothes for many local celebrities but she has also represented Uganda at fashion galas in the US, Holland and Spain. She has also been such a big seller abroad and one of her clients is Bono, a famous rock musician and activist with U2.
“When I see someone smart, I get inspired to make him look more stylish, but in natural organic fabrics or recycled scraps of cloth,†she says.
“Many of my designs are handmade in prints that imitate the fish, the lizard, the flowing rivers and other symbols that shout out about passion, peace and diversity.â€
Her designs are often an explosion of colours, unique fabrics, prints and symbols that are all so artistically and visually stimulating.
The fashion week will be her second catwalk show in London. Brighter things seem to be set on the horizon for her as she takes barkcloth and other Ugandan organic fabrics to the UK fashion stores.