Modern Silhouettes and African Prints: Kenyan Label Kooroo

APiF: Please introduce your business and your designs. 

Kooroo Designs: Kooroo which means "be proud" in Amharic (Ethiopian language) was founded in 2006 in Nairobi, Kenya, with the aim of creating a ready to wear line for women that is Africa-inspired and globally appealing.

APiF: If your label would be a person, what kind of person would it be?

Kooroo Designs: A confident woman who has her own sense of style and who loves different cultures.

APiF: Fashion Finds: What is your favorite piece in your closet or of your

collection and why? 

Kooroo Designs: Our aesthetic combines modern, timeless silhouettes with African print; surface embellishment using local craftsmanship and exquisite fabric.

APiF: How do you market your designs and how do you make them accessible to a global audience?
Kooroo Designs: We market our designs by participating in fashion events, both locally and regionally. We have shown our collections at Festival of African Fashion and Art (FAFA) in 2008, 2009, 2010. The event has great media coverage locally and internationally and is a great platform to showcase the creativity that exists on the continent. We have also shown our collection at Swahili Fashion Week and in Scotland at the Edinburgh Mela Festival in 2010. We also use facebook as a marketing tool.

APiF: Any tips for new designers/start-ups in the fashion industry?
Kooroo Designs: Focus on one area of design (i.e women's wear, or menswear etc) and build that up before branching into other areas.Have a vision and work towards that, believe in yourself and never give up. 

APiF: What are your fashion plans for 2012?

Kooroo Designs: To enter the international fashion market!

Find out more:
f: Like Kooroo on facebook
w: http://www.kooroodesigns.com/