Anyango Mpinga was born and raised in Nairobi, the land of cool waters.

Formally trained in media studies, she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in social communication with a major in radio production. Her professional engagements in multi-cultural environments; working as a radio presenter and working in advertising grew her love for artistic expression. While serving as project director for the first edition of hub of Africa Fashion Week in Addis Ababa in 2010, and playing host to some of Africa’s Fashion Talent, she was inspired to take her love for fashion beyond a hobby which she enjoyed.

She returned to Nairobi thereafter and started her clothing line kipusa in 2011. Her vision was to create a brand that is synonymous with elegance, authenticity and style. She re-branded and launched her eponymous luxury brand Anyango Mpinga in 2015.

Anyango’s influences are drawn from her spiritual life as a bahá’í, her love for the arts, her travels and her rich multi-cultural heritage. The designer is part of a growing global movement, which promotes slow fashion. Slow fashion does not follow the typical fashion cycle, where clothes are produced at a low cost for several seasons throughout the year. Slow fashion promotes socially responsible consumption of garments, focusing on high quality local production and making clothes that are not tied to a fashion season.

Some of the places she has showcased her work include Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mozambique and France. She is featured in the book ‘aspirations of a generation – youth of Kenya” by footprints publishing; a compilation of the musings of 80 young, inspiring people selected from all over Kenya.

In 2014 she was selected as one of the top four finalists in the apparel category in the competition “Africa designers for tomorrow” by Berlin agency Fa 254. The program, founded by former top model Waridi Schrobsdorff was supported by Vogue Germany, Ebay fashion, Monoqi and Urbanara in an effort to introduce young African talent to the European market.

In 2015 she was nominated designer of the year at the Kenya Fashion Awards. Her work is a testament of her love for creating art while supporting local artisans and serving her community.

The collection is called The Proverbial Dreamer which presents a journey that captures the transition which a girl makes; influenced by her childhood, into coming a woman who is unashamedly bold and unapologetically authentic.

The collection introduces prints drawn from scarification pattern. Scarification, which is an old common practise among African tribes was regarded as a boundary marker of various stages of and individual’s life. In relation to women, it symbolised the transition a girl made from puberty to adulthood. The tribal markings are symbolic of the scars that mark every person’s journey as they go through various stages of self discovery in their lives.

This collection also explores the various ways of promoting a positive body image for all women, who at various stages in their lives wear both visible and invisible scars. The proverbial dreamer presents a delectable selection of Anyango’s classic shirt dress in black, white and blu pin stripes. The cuts are well structed, giving and architectural edge to the design using fabric manipulation techniques.

Her selection of luxurious silks are printed with her signature designs derived from the scarification patterns.

Our limited edition jewellery collection is made from Anyango Mpinga’s signature sure feather tassels. Each necklace is gold plated, comes with a  feather shaped pendant with the brand name bossed an used ethically source ostrich feathers.

Our limited edition bags are individually hand crafted by artisans in Kenya, through our ethical manufacturing partners luxury leather Africa (LULEA). Lula was founded by renowned French master leather craftsman Edmond Chesneau, who after establishing a successful luxury leather brand in Europe, was inspired to move to Kenya and work with local artisans, training them in the art of production luxury leather goods. Each bag is lined using the fines bovine leather. The hardware used on the feather tassels a signature of Anyango Mpinga’s bags are gold plated.

For more info visit www.anyangompinga.com