Creativity from Kibera: Avido presents fashion and film in Cologne!

Creativity from Kibera: Avido presents fashion and film in Cologne!

In Cologne there will soon be an exciting insight into the creative world of Kibera, one of the largest slums in Africa. David “Avido” Ochieng, a talented fashion designer from this Nairobi neighborhood, will be screening a film documentary about Kibera Fashion Week on Sunday, June 29th and Thursday, July 3rd. The event takes place in cooperation with the Global South Studies Center at the University of Cologne and the Pambazuka Swahili Culture Association. Admission to both events is free. Cologne City Gazette reports that the event provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about the creative talents of Kibera residents.

Kibera is characterized by garbage and well-filled corrugated iron huts, which often prevents many people from seeing the tireless creativity of the people who live there. With Kibera Fashion Week, which is taking place for the second time, Avido would like to offer residents a stage to develop their talents. Fashion Week's theme is derived from sustainability and inclusivity and showcases traditional Kenyan influences combined with Western styles. taz states that the last event took place on railway tracks and attracted over 1,000 visitors, many of them from Kibera itself.

The inspiration behind Avido's design

Avido, who founded his fashion label “lookslikeavido” in a one-room apartment in Kibera, combines traditional African print patterns with modern streetwear elements. He also became known through his singer-songwriter colleagues who wear his clothes - including celebrities such as Bruno Mars, Beyoncé and also the reggae scene greats Chronixx and Popcaan. Powers of Africahighlights that Avido's clothes are made in Kibera and greatly enrich the cultural scene there.

His career was anything but easy. Growing up in a disadvantaged environment as the eldest of four children, Avido had to drop out of school at an early age and looked for ways to break out of the vicious circle of poverty. He made his first attempts at sewing in a dance group, but the real turning point came when an NGO worker gave him his first sewing machine.

Events and workshops

After the film screening on June 29th, there will be a workshop with Avido on the topic of “Creativity and Inspiration”. Here participants can learn from his experiences and his creative approach. On July 3rd, after the film screening, there will be a panel discussion with Avido and other guests who will offer deeper insights into the fashion world as well as the challenges and opportunities in Kibera.

With the aim of strengthening self-confidence through fashion and creativity, Kibera Fashion Week provides a platform for emerging designers who emphasize cultural identity and sustainability in fashion production in their collections. Avido's motto, “Great things can come from places where you least expect it,” is not only a guiding principle, but also an inspiration for many who are making their way in the fashion industry.

Avido's commitment, not only in the fashion sector, but also with its Avido Foundation, which supports the fight against child poverty and offers sewing courses, shows that there is also hope and support in Kibera. The combination of creative design and social responsibility secures Avido's place as a fashion pioneer and inspiration for future generations.