On the rusted tin roofs of the Kibera slum in the heart of Nairobi, the collections of Kibera Fashion Week were showcased. This initiative was spearheaded by the renowned Kenyan designer David Ochieng, also known as Avido, who dedicated his runway show to his native Kibera and its residents.
The outfits designed by David Ochieng, alias Avido, are made in Kibera, the largest slum in Kenya. They have gained global recognition, catching the attention of Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, and Vogue magazine. However, for Avido, these creations serve a purpose: to reveal and develop his native ghetto.
With this goal in mind, the 27-year-old designer launched Kibera Fashion Week, with its second edition taking place on Saturday in the heart of Nairobi's main slum, one of the largest in Africa.
He has turned his life's journey into one of his mottos: "Great things can come from places where you least expect them." As the eldest of four children raised by a single mother, he had never thought of pursuing a career in this field.
"What pushed me into fashion was finding an alibi to stay alive," explains Avido, whose real name is David Ochieng. He estimates that "60% to 70%" of his childhood friends have died due to crime or drugs.
Forced to leave school at the age of 11 due to a lack of resources, he tried to make a living and avoid delinquency. First through football, then by working on construction sites, before joining a dance group.
He started designing outfits for the group. "I began spending time with tailors who made the clothes we danced in," he recalls. "I learned to sew without knowing it."
He later underwent fashion training. "He was really motivated. ... He's a go-getter," recalls Japheth Okoth, an NGO employee who housed him and helped him get his first sewing machine. "As soon as he got this machine, he started designing clothes, making shirts," he adds.
One of his shirts caught the attention of reggae singer Don Carlos in 2017, who was passing through Kibera on the sidelines of a concert. Avido gifted him a shirt. This encounter convinced him to dedicate himself to fashion.
With his brand "Lookslike Avido," he developed a colorful, unisex style, blending various patterns and textures, including Ankara fabric - also known as wax - and velvet found in his kimonos and bomber jackets.
His inspiration comes not from the runways of New York, Paris, or Milan but from the streets of Kibera. "Here, we have everything. When we talk about avant-garde, official fashion, it's all in the street," says Avido, who defines himself as a "street designer."
One of his signature products comes from the Kenyan countryside: a woven conical basket made by his grandmother, which he turned upside down and wore as a hat on a rainy day.
His style has caught the eye of Bruno Mars, rapper Ty Dolla Sign, reggae singer Chronixx, Coldplay's Chris Martin, and Beyoncé, who enlisted him along with other African designers for her "Black is King" project. He showcased his creations during Berlin Fashion Week in 2019.