{"id":365452,"date":"2010-02-26T08:15:34","date_gmt":"2010-02-26T13:15:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jamati.com\/online\/?p=9679"},"modified":"2010-02-26T08:15:34","modified_gmt":"2010-02-26T13:15:34","slug":"young-inspired-fashion-designer-patricia-wakaimba-talks-to-jamati","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/365452","title":{"rendered":"Young Inspired Fashion Designer, Patricia Wakaimba, Talks to Jamati"},"content":{"rendered":"

The ever increasing development and setting of higher standards in the fashion industry has not only been contributed by experienced masters of the art, but also from the thriving newcomers into the industry with diversity and uniqueness. They say, talent is nurtured, but for Patricia Wakaimba, talent was just by her side. Jamati Entourage, Kenya caught up with Patricia in an Interview.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Patricia<\/a><\/p>\n

Patricia Wakaimba in a Bahati<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Jamati: H<\/strong>ow old are you? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Patricia:<\/strong> I\u2019m 21 years old.<\/p>\n

Jamati: Describe your life to where you are right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Patricia:<\/strong> I was born in Nairobi, and went to the Banda School in Langata, Nairobi. At age 13 I\u00a0went to\u00a0boarding school in (Mill Hill) London and then on to higher education. I have completed Fashion and Arts at Central Saint Martins, London with a Distinction. I am currently a second year Bacculaureate student at Kings College, London and am\u00a0studying Finance and Economics. I am lucky to have very supportive parents who have encouraged and supported me every step of the way.<\/p>\n

Jamati: What inspired you to be a designer? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Patricia:<\/strong> I have always been creative and have painted my whole life; it\u2019s what comes natural to me. I took a foundation course in Art and Design at Central Saint Martins, whilst never specializing in Fashion, it allowed me to explore and experiment various new mediums and forms and find and create my own style. Being in London is also a huge fashion influence; in living in a truly stimulating and cosmopolitan environment, I am surrounded by exciting design developments not to mention incredible clothes! Last year I begun designing and by the summer I had built up a collection; the journey begun from there really.<\/p>\n

\"Bahati<\/a><\/p>\n

Bahati – Nia dress<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Jamati: Tell us about your fashion line – Bahati?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Patricia:<\/strong> Bahati is a Swahili word that means luck and good fortune. At the age of 20<\/strong> I took on something I didn\u2019t know very much about. I launched a fashion line, had a fashion show and tried to raise awareness on the harmful effects of Female Genital Mutilation<\/em>. At the time all I knew was that I loved to design and watch a sketch grow into a finished vibrant and unique garment. I find the Bahati name appropriate; it\u2019s always good to have a little luck on your side. Looking back on the past six months, all I can say is that I truly have been blessed!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

A Model in a Bahati<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Jamati:<\/strong> What is the reason why you chose African inspired designs and feminine wear?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Patricia:<\/strong> I love lesso<\/em> prints and the truth is I can\u2019t get enough of them; I\u2019m still excited when I see a new print design. It\u2019s such a versatile and visually rich fabric that inspires my garment designs. Bahati<\/em> is about embracing Africa\u2019s infinite cultural diversity<\/em> through the use of bold and vibrant prints! There\u2019s a lot more freedom in designing for women then there is for men. I wanted my first collection to be feminine, fun and individual! Women have always been my focus. I design for ladies of all ages. I believe that style is more about a state of mind than a specific demographic. My designs are fun and feminine and for anyone willing to be different.<\/p>\n

Jamati: How was your Fashion show in 2009?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Patricia:<\/strong> I launched Bahati in August 2009 with a fashion show at the K1 Klub House in Nairobi. So far it\u2019s the only show that I\u2019ve had, it\u2019s only been 6 months and I do plan on having many more! The fashion show was such an incredible experience! I had a turn out of guests that exceeded my expectations where many tickets were sold, and, I\u2019m still amazed by the way in which the audience received Bahati. I\u2019d worked so hard in the months coming up trying to get everything together that I couldn\u2019t believe it when the show was finally over; a thoroughly rewarding experience.<\/p>\n

\"Patricia(in<\/a><\/p>\n

Patricia(in green) walkind down the runway during 2009's Fashion Show <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Jamati:<\/strong> What are your goals and how are you set to achieve them? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Patricia:<\/strong> I\u2019d like to increase my target market and reach out to a wider audience both locally and internationally. I am beginning to design for men, its on early stages now but I\u2019m hoping to release a line by the summer. It\u2019s going to be a laid back casual collection injection colour into men\u2019s wardrobes! In the long run I plan to grow Bahati<\/em> into a fully sustainable and internationally recognized fashion label. The real challenge is in growing the brand and I\u2019ll have to ensure my designs remain fresh and innovative and continue to stand as a truly modern day symbol of cultural expression<\/em>. Other challenges include finding the time to successfully oversee all aspects such as marketing and sales whilst make time for my degree. Amongst many things I\u2019ve learnt to be patient.<\/p>\n

Jamati: Future expectations? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Patricia:<\/strong> I\u2019m currently working on a collection that I\u2019m hoping to release in the summer whilst at the same time I\u2019d like to branch into men\u2019s fashion. My latest designs incorporate a wider selection of fabrics and intricate beadwork<\/em> and embellishments<\/em>; they\u2019re going to be more feminine<\/em> and vibrant than the last! I\u2019ve currently got a Kiboko line of handbags; I\u2019m hoping to expand on this too.<\/p>\n

Jamati: What is Kiboko?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Patricia:<\/strong> Kiboko<\/em> is the name of my handbags, they are bright, large (you can fit just about anything in them) and funky.<\/p>\n

Jamati:<\/strong> How does it feel to have accomplished all this at your age?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Patricia:<\/strong> Incredible! So much time and effort has gone into making my dream a reality but it\u2019s all been totally worthwhile!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The ever increasing development and setting of higher standards in the fashion industry has not only been contributed by experienced masters of the art, but also from the thriving newcomers into the industry with diversity and uniqueness. They say, talent is nurtured, but for Patricia Wakaimba, talent was just by her side. Jamati Entourage, Kenya […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5947,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-365452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365452","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5947"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=365452"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365452\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=365452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=365452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=365452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}