World finds African fashion trendsetter in Durban

THE Masa Mara collection shown at the AFI/Canex Fashion Exhibition at the Intra-African Trade Fair in Durban last weekend has caught the attention of the international fashion industry, putting designer Nyambo Masa Mara firmly in the spotlight.

Nyambo, 29, who is based in Cape Town, said this week that showcasing in Durban provided a “huge opportunity” and platform for his work, with fashion representatives from New York, Portugal, Chad and Russia approaching him backstage, and Marie Claire in Russia sharing his designs on Instagram.

“My brand speaks to Africa and showcases the African image. To be surrounded by the international fashion industry gave me such a good platform on the continent and the world at large. It was more than a fashion show, with people saying my collection made them feel, not just see,” he said this week.

Coming to South Africa from Rwanda when he was just 13 years old, Nyambo lived in a refugee camp from the age of three.

“In Rwanda, amara masa means to come from nothing, so I played with the saying and built the brand Masa Mara, and the name has a beautiful sound,” he said.

Living in a refugee camp, he said, did not allow for dreams for the future.

Coming from a family of 14 siblings, when he was 12, he and his older brother left Rwanda and spent two months travelling down through Africa in search of a better life.

“It was a journey which I’m still finding the courage and strength to talk about. A lot happened along the way and it took us two months to get to South Africa.

“I was a curious child and I was chosen to come here and given a torch to shine a light back to my family,” he said.

He dabbled in sport and music, but it was when he started to make his own clothes that he realised he had a talent.

“I started designing my own clothes and would get a tailor to make them. I had special pieces and people wanted to know who I was. Those clothes gave me power and I realised I had a gift,” said Nyambo.

In 2015 he started his brand, which he has built with lots of hard work.