Fashion Designers

Upendo
Upendo means ‘love‿in Kiswahili, and the Upendo label incorporates love and caring into its entire label. The project includes a sewing school, empowering women through trade skills education, a workshop, and a clothing line. The project started as sewing lessons for local women, and out of that grew the idea for a fair trade clothing line using the beautiful natural fabrics found and made on the island and local, well trained and fairly paid labour.
The clothing line now combines the powerful patterns and colours of African fabrics wit classic, simple design. Children’s clothing is a particular specialty of Upendo, with bright colours and classic, practical designs. The workshop and shop employ former students under the same roof as the school itself. All profits go to the school and workshop and to creating more confidence, empowerment and love in Zanzibar.