We met Moses, a successful independent fashion designer from Rwanda who founded Moshions, a fashion brand inspired by his homeland!
Moshions is inspired by local Rwandan craftsmanship, can you tell me a little bit about how your fascination with craftsmanship began, and why you think it’s important to preserve traditional artistry?
My interest in craftsmanship was born when I was little surrounded by my family environment and in particular by my mother who has always been a source of inspiration for me.
Growing up in Rwanda I learned to appreciate the environment around me and to treasure the customs of my land.
(Menabòh) Your newest collection, “Imandwa Zose” touches on the social issue of gender freedom. Can you tell us a little bit about the collection and how you’re commenting on this issue through your work?
(Moses) “Imandwa Zose” Associate my being with my emotions. I think it’s very important to be able to express your emotions and sensations. Another important theme in my collection is gender fluidity. This is very dear to me but also to all the people around me.
Often times it is difficult to express ourselves. Especially for men, but I try to do it better– when I create silhouettes, I always try to recreate them as smoothly as possible.
(Menabòh) Sustainability is another issue that is near and dear to your heart. Can you tell us a bit about your approach to responsible fashion?
(Moses) Responsible fashion is very important because it makes us think about not only what we wear but also what we create.
Especially during this period of the pandemic, which has made us think about finding solutions for our planet.
The first move towards sustainability in my life was to work with people around me who are artisans and local manufacturers.
Driven by the awareness that when we look at our planet we must take care of it. This is the reason why I support responsible and sustainable fashion. Trying to choose productions with the least possible waste that have the least impact on our environment.
At Moshions we are working with sustainable yarns that are dyed completely with natural colors, to avoid adding harmful chemicals. Our production is not following the mass market but rather we work with preorders as much as possible to avoid overproduction.
Today the individual is looking for outfits by occasion. For this reason, my view is that we no longer need mass productions that until now characterized the fashion system.
(Menabòh) You’re the first brand to launch on Menabòh’s E-commerce platform, we’re super excited to start this journey with you. What drew you to collaborating with Menabòh?
(Moses) Collaborating with Menabòh is a pleasure for us because we want to work with people who have like-minded visions, people who care about the environment that surrounds us.
Menabòh is a creative and sustainable platform that I really like. It goes hand in hand with my concept of sustainability.
The idea of surprise boxes that combines vintage and emerging brands is exactly the idea that Moshions looks for in collaborations because it helps people to dress with an awareness of a responsible and sustainable way to approach fashion.
(Menabòh) We like to end with the future in mind, where do personally you see (or hope) the future of fashion headed?
(Moses) I think the future of fashion is now. I don’t think the future of the fashion world is that of mass production but I firmly believe that slow fashion is what is slowly (no pun intended) taking shape.
The future will not be producing 3/4 collections per year but it will be something more responsible and slower for our planet and the environment around us.
I am sure that both consumers and producers are returning to a slower pace of fashion.
