Listen At the age of 14, Patricia Lulu Mbela decided she wanted to become a fashion designer. She has come a long way since then, and now boasts over 20 years of fashion industry experience. She is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and head designer at fashion de – sign and ethnic jewellery house POISA, which creates garments […]
Journey Of Women Trailblazers
Monica Kanari
Listen Although Monica Kanari did not study fashion at tertiary level, she turned her hobby into her profession and has made a name for herself as one of Kenya’s most celebrated fashion designers. She is the managing director and head designer at Occasions and Days Fashion House, which she launched in 2000 after leaving the corporate world to […]
Lynette Anderson
Listen Lynette Anderson’s career in the fashion industry began when she was 18 years old, under the influence of her mother who was a fashion designer. Since then, she has made great contributions to the industry through her hard work and dedication. Anderson is the proprietor of the Nairobi Fashion Market, an event that showcases authentic Kenyan designs, […]
Lyndsey McIntyre
Listen Lyndsey McIntyre was only 14 years old when she began modelling. Today she is the head of Surazuri Casting and Consultancy Limited, a modelling and casting agency that she founded in 1987. She wears several hats, pouring her efforts into professional photography, travel writing, interior design and events coordinating, in addition to her work at […]
Khadija Adam
Listen For two decades, Khadija Adam was the subject of countless photo shoots. She strutted down the glittering runways of the world’s fashion capitals, gracing the covers of Cosmopolitan and Timemagazines; shooting into the limelight, she struck gold as a pioneer Kenyan international model. Former Miss Kenya, Khadija Adam, has rich memories of her days on the […]
Ajuma Nasenyana
Listen In 2003, Ajuma Nasenyana was about to board a plane to Sweden where she intended to pursue a career in athletics, when she was persuaded by Lyndsey McIntyre of Surazuri Modelling Agency, to take a shot at a career as a model instead. Today, Nasenyana is the one of very few Kenyan models to […]
Cecilia Mwangi
Listen Cecilia Murugi Mwangi remains one of the most memorable beauty queens Kenya has ever had. The former model was thrust into the limelight when she was crowned Miss World Kenya in 2005 and went on to represent the country in Miss World 2005, which was held at the Crown of Beauty Theatre in Sanya, People’s Republic […]
Evelyn Mungai
Listen Having founded Evelyn College of Design 41 years ago, Evelyn Mungai is a pioneer in the fashion and design industry in the East Africa region, a visionary trendsetter and a true business mogul. Like every other child in her village, Evelyn Mungai walked barefoot each day to her local village school in the countryside of Cura Village […]
Ann McCreath
Listen A Scotswoman set on winning over the hearts of Kenyans to African inspired contemporary trends has become one of the most influential fashion designers in East Africa, a far cry from her days of cleaning toilets; today she enjoys international acclaim on the catwalks of the world. Most fashion enthusiasts know Ann McCreath as […]
Asenath Bole Odaga
Listen Asenath Bole Odaga is recognised for her contributions to the Africanisation of education in Kenya during the early years after independence. She is credited with highlighting the importance of African oral literature and introducing it to the education system. She also made a name for herself as an author, publishing over 30 titles in […]