Gaina finds her footing in Italian fashion industry

FASHION |

Her humble background notwithstanding, Zamzam Gaina has made a mark on the Italian fashion industry.

Not even the COVID-19 pandemic that hit Italy badly could stop her. Her shoe brand and clothing line have scaled her name up on the international fashion scene. She shared her story with Ritah Mukasa

Life as a child was not pretty for Gaina. The ninth-born out of the 37 children born to Abubakar Gayinamungu, headteacher of Bwala Primary school in Masaka, Gaina has a story familiar to many people who have grown up under hardship.

Growing up, she testifies that life was full of challenges. Her parents separated when she was just about three years old.

"My mum dumped me and my little brother in the hands of our grandmother, Sofi a Kobusingye, deep in the village in Ibanda district," she recalls. Her mother then moved to the city to make ends meet.

It was not easy for Gaina and her brother to adjust to village life. They had to walk to school barefooted and lacked many basic needs. 

Gaina started school at Ibanda Primary School, before moving to St Hellen's Primary School in Mbarara. Later, her father took her to Bwala Primary School in Masaka, where she sat her Primary Leaving Examinations.

"I was admitted to Nabisunsa Girls for Senior One, but due to family wrangles, I kept changing schools every two years," she narrates.

After A'level, she enrolled for a diploma in journalism and mass communication, after which she moved to the former Uganda Television for internship. A few months later, Lady Luck smiled Gaina's way. She fell in love.

"After a whirlwind romance, we moved to Italy," she reminisces. Life in Italy was not a bed of roses

"I left for Milan, Italy, 10 years ago for love. From that love story, my first child was born," Gaina says. Unfortunately, a few months into their marriage, the couple broke up.

"I later met my current partner and moved to Piacenza in the north, where my second child was born," she says. Gaina says she struggled to adjust to life in Italy.

"Language, culture, food, and integration was hard," she says, adding that: "Everything seemed to move very fast, so she had to adjust so as to fi t in.

And then, she was stigmatised because of her skin colour. She was called names, such as chocolate, tanned, coloured, among others. Fortunately, though, amidst the racists were some liberal-minded Italians who complemented Gaina. They called her bella, which means beautiful; she felt loved.

Her business

After settling down, Gaina ventured into fashion.

"I remembered the childhood hardships we went through while walking to school. This greatly inspired me into designing shoes," she says.

Before she left Uganda, Gaina used to sew her own designs. So, moving to Italy; the land of fashion and design, worked in her favour.

"In Italy, I enrolled for training and later came up with Sofi Kobs; shortened from my grandmother's name. I owe her everything," Gaina says. Her designs have an Afro-Italian touch, where Italian leather is fused with African prints.

"I create the designs and take them to the best Italian shoe factories for production. I also make clothes, bags, and accessories," she says. She sells the items in her shops in Piacenza and vendor points around Italy and online at www.sofi -kobs.it.

In 2018, she participated in the International Fashion Week in Paris, and last year, she won the Italian television fashion competition; hai stile da vendere? (Do you have style to sell?)

Staying relevant

Starting a business is one thing and sustaining it is another, more so, in Europe, where fashion is a very competitive industry. However, Gaina has managed to stay relevant by putting unique stuff on the market.  She says her products are different and that is what keeps her brand afloat.

"I also endeavour to maximise all the opportunities that come my way, such as fashion shows and programmes. In 2018, I attended the International Fashion Week in Paris," she says. Gaina has also attended MICAM, an international trade show for shoes, bags, and accessories in Milan Italy.

Plans

Gaina has big plans. She says 10 years from now, she sees her business growing, with branches all over the world.

She also hopes to continue growing her charity, which she started last year in Italy. It is called Child of Famine Africa (COFA), dedicated to support children from very poor families.