Project Runway Rwanda

Sorry about the title, but I just couldn’t help myself and it is rather appropriate as you will see.

I think that one of the things that I am most excited about here is the idea that around every corner is a tailor willing to try to make clothing for you according to an existing garment, a design or sketch of your own, a pattern hanging on their wall, or even just an oral explanation of the garment your desire.  Added to this is the fact that if you go to any market you will find scores of fabric to choose from and if you have a little more time and can make it to Fabric Alley in Kigali your choice of fabric becomes endless.  I was recently in this “fabric alley” hoping to choose my very first measure of cloth, but found myself instead just wandering from little shop to little shop uttering, “Wow!” and stumbling on as I was so overwhelmed by the choices that I made no choice.

In a way cloth is king here, or rather, as it is the women who are the primary consumers of this vast catalog of fabric, I should say cloth is queen here.  On a recent Sunday bus ride as I was staring out the window at the passing scenery the landscape suddenly turned into a sea of moving cloth of every color and design as for nearly a mile the side of the road was filled with men and women on their way to church dressed in their Sunday best.  It was joyful to take in as each woman was uniquely and colorfully dressed in her own design in her own chosen fabric, and as the fashion here is to have a matching skirt, shirt, and headdress these women appeared to be a kaleidoscope of moving color.



Because of this love of fabric and design in Rwanda there is a real cottage industry in each town and village of busy tailors and seamstresses.  I have been passing through the tiniest of towns and seen either through an open doorway or out in front of a petite, little shack someone bent over a sewing machine working to complete someone’s skirt, suit, school uniform, or wedding attire.  One’s own pocketbook, desire, and creativity seem to be the only limits to the wardrobe that one may aspire to.  Therefore, because I was kindly moved out of my seventh grade home economics class because I was failing the sewing portion of the class to the shop class where they were learning to weld, I am wildly excited about the prospects of “designing” a wardrobe without having to actually sew anything. 



I have my first appointment with a seamstress this week so I will keep you posted on my own Project Runway in Rwanda.  In the meantime here are some just a token sampling of some of the fabrics one has to choose from.  

"Thank you Mood!"