The Cultural Quest is a journey of appreciation and discovery. Our aim is to rediscover & reclaim our cultural identity and express this through the language of fashion. This will be achieved through a series of expeditions of selected communities in Kenya with the aim of stitching together clothing that interweaves modern-day contemporary styles with a culturally conscious traditional backdrop. This Quest is the manifestation of our need to celebrate and recreate our identity via our African heritage.
The Journey
Our initial focus starts with the culture rich Samburu community. The Samburu are a staunch pastoralist community with an undimmed appreciation of their traditional tribal attire. Patterned shukas, beaded necklaces, elaborate headdresses, brightly coloured bracelets, all form part of their customary garb. Our main objective is to celebrate the beauty of the Samburu and create prints that are inspired by them. Later we will explore other Kenyan traditional communities. By amalgamating our efforts across the country and across its various tribes, our final aspiration is to create a comprehensive, fresh & unique collection of fashion pieces.
As part of the journey our team will stay with the Samburu for a week during which significant cultural nuances will be sought and captured. This will be documented through videos, photography and an immersive virtual museum. By fully immersing ourselves in the livelihoods of the Samburu we hope to gain valuable insights into why & how they have preserved their identity despite rapid modernisation happening around them.
Significant Dates
7th March, 2019:- Soft Launch of The Cultural Quest Series (Read about launch below)
22nd May, 2019:- Journey To Samburu
3rd June, 2019:- Design Process of the Unique Print and Collections Begins
30th August, 2019:- Runway show showcasing the pieces & celebrating the Samburu Culture
CATCH UP WITH THE LAUNCH
On 7th March, 2019 at Mettā Nairobi, 6/F Belgravia Building 14 Riverside we officially launched the Cultural Quest series with a panel discussion that sought to unpack the theme: Is African Facing An Identity Crisis?
We were privileged to have the amongst us a distinguished panelist who’s diverse interest’s & expertise in the cultural field helped bring clarity to the theme and set the tone for the much needed conversation about our cultural identity as Kenyans.
Read about some of the shared insights about culture, identity, fashion and the impact that urbanisation will have on how we dress in the year 2050.
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