KAMPALA (AFP): Mention African style and the fashion crowd thinks Lagos, or Johannesburg. But Uganda’s emerging designers - using a mix of local craft and global savvy - are hoping to give them a run for their money. Fashion in the east African nation may be viewed as frivolous by many, with the industry under resourced and local designers facing fierce competition from cheaper secondhand clothes and Chinese imports.
But tickets for Kampala’s first ever Fashion Week earlier this month sold out swiftly, with models strutting the catwalk showing everything from sequined hot pants to accessories made from cow horn, to a dress made from the country’s unique bark cloth.