Kenya’s fashion statement is not loud and clear

In 2012, high-end fashion house Louis Vuitton featured the Maasai shuka in the menswear Spring Summer collection. There was no monetary benefit for East Africa from the Maasai-inspired outfits, but it said alot about the untapped potential of our local designs and fabrics.

It was not the first Kenyan item to receive attention on the global runway. There have been stories that non-African countries want to patent the kikoi and the kiondo. While imitation is usually the sincerest form of flattery, there are blurred lines between imitation and outright theft.