Clare Asiimwe and Sham Tyra. Photos/Courtesy
Dyna Vence
Dyna Vence Ahimbisibwe is the proprietor of Dyna Vence Couture which she started 12 years ago. Celebrities she has dressed include Juliana Kanyomozi, Zuena Kirema, Zari, Anita Fabiola, Pia Pounds, Hellen Lukoma, Spice Diana, Barbie Kyagulanyi, Lydia Jazmine, and Rema Namakula.
She started by ripping clothes to see what they looked like underneath and replicated it. By the time she was done with secondary school, she had already hand-sewn a couple of dresses.
Dyna Vence did a fashion course during her Senior Six vacation. Her parents sent her to Kampala to seek university admission but she instead joined fashion school, something her parents did not expect. When they finally got to know, it was too late.
Fatuma Asha
Talk about Uganda’s best designers, Fatuma Asha’s name tops the list. She had dressed almost every female celebrity in Uganda including singer Rema Namakula, media personality Sheila Gashumba, Bettinah Tianah, radio personality Deedan, Prim Assimwe, socialite Anita Fabiola, Tina Teise and Natasha Sinayobye on the red carpet and at other functions. She is known for dreamy wedding and red carpet dresses.
She started her fashion journey in 2004 after pursuing Fine Art at Makerere University, specialising in fashion. Her passion for design however started in childhood after she accurately hand-stitched and revamped all her doll’s clothing. She would also buy oversize garments and skillfully alter them to fit.
Sham Tyra
Sham Tyra launched her brand in 2016 and has since been making waves in the fashion world, drawing inspiration from her extensive experience working alongside her mother. Her designs have caught the attention of numerous celebrities including Nadia Mbiire Matovu, Crystal Newman, Stellah Nantumbwe, Natasaha Sinayobye, Sheila Gashumba, Lucy Bunyeyezi, Baby Gloria, Iryn Namubiru and Barbie Itungo Kyagulanyi.
Clare Asiimwe is the proprietor of Sew Bantu and inset is Juliana Nasasira Kwesh. Photos/Courtesy
Kwesh
On a trip to Uganda to shoot the film Queen of Katwe, Lupita was photographed in a beautiful dress from the Ugandan brand known as Kwesh.
According to Juliana Nasasira, the creative director and founder of Kwesh, this was a highlight in her career. Kwesh is 100 percent made in Africa, designed and ethically produced in Kampala, Uganda and offers authentic, modern clothing that stands out for its minimal silhouettes.
Born and raised in Uganda, Juliana studied Fashion Design at Instituto Marangoni in Milano, Italy, where she graduated in 2011 and launched Kwesh a year later with her first collection Controlled Chaos under her brand Kwesh. Besides Lupita, she has designed for Sheebah Karungi and Natasha Sinayobe.
