Africa’s biggest fashion market Thrift Social will celebrate its 20th edition with the Tie & Dye theme at Waterfront Karen, Nairobi. An ode to the legacy of the fashion fad prevalent with the rise of counterculture in the 60s and 70s, the theme captures the spirit of the event’s humble ascent from its modest backyard market days to reshaping Kenya’s creative art and fashion scene through its curatorial bimonthly showcase.
The social event series was founded in 2015 by brother and sister combo cum style entrepreneurs, Oliver Asike and Velma Rossa as a platform for the exploration of fashion, visual art and music in a bid to inspire innovation in Kenya’s vibrant and multi–faceted creative industry.
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The market invites fashion and style enthusiasts to shop from a curated selection of the city’s cutting edge vendors attracting a plethora of creatives from fashion enterprises, designers, photographers, stylists, models, art directors and other fashion actors in the Kenyan fashion ecosystem.
Coinciding with the milestone will be the unveil of Vitimbi, Oliver Asike’s premier fashion brand that draws its inspiration from the city’s street culture, government, middle class and low income communities. The fashion stylist extraordinaire will through his installation introduce his fashion venture set to reimagine Kenya’s apparel scene.
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His unique approach upcycles second hand clothing while blending them with dead stock fabrics to make new garments. The underlying vision is to transform Vitimbi into Africa’s biggest streetwear brand through the continent’s long held narrative of sustainability.
The artist line up reflects a blend of sounds, starkly distinct but all denoting the event’s consistent focus on featuring new, upcoming, innovative and progressive artistes. The experience will be headlined by Nigerian rising star, Santi alongside stunning soulful Kenyan singer, Wanja Wohoro and fast rising Kenyan femceeBey T. Music will be curated by acclaimed Kenyan mood setters: Mix Master Lenny, TAIO and Shishi.
In addition to the assortment of vendors expected at the market, visiting guest Nigerian designer and art director, Bubu Ogusi will also treat shoppers to her installation on site.
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The upcoming edition is a partnership with Nataal, a London-based digital and print platform revered for inspiring artists whose work is shaping global African creativity today. This partnership is founded on shared values and a mutual celebration of the continent through fashion, music and arts.
Speaking on the collaboration, Nataal editorial director Helen Jennings says: “We’re excited to partner Oliver and Velma on this special Thrift Social edition on their home soil. The event’s longevity and success is testament to their forward-thinking and inspiring vision, which speaks to Nataal’s own ethos and dedicated audience.” Look out for exclusive stories on Nataal after the event.
