Juliet Namujju is a 22-year-old social change maker, fashion designer, entrepreneur and environmentalist. She is the Founder of Kimuli Fashionability, an Eco and inclusive fashion brand that trains persons with disabilities skills of creative tailoring to turn plastic waste into fashion while blending it with African fabrics. “I am committed and passionate about changing people’s lives and saving the environment through fashion. I have committed myself to changing the mindset that most people have towards plastic waste because I believe through sensitization and training of persons with disabilities upcycling and fashion skills we can create a bright green future for our future generation.”
How and when did you discover your passion as an Environmental fashion designer?
When I was six years old my father got in a terrible accident. He became lame because his legs were amputated. He lost his job and was not able to fend for the family. He died miserably. My mother remained sad, lonely and died too soon after. I was neglected, abandoned and lacked a cared for childhood. I hated myself to the level of regretting why I was born. I was then raised by my poor grandmother who was a tailor. She inspired me to start making my own dolls from waste, using a hand needle since she could not afford buying me a doll. The tailoring with my grandmother supported my school fees and when I completed high school, I went for a short course in Fashion and Design. Founding Kimuli Fashionability gave me the chance to transform my difficult past into a strength to fight for inclusion of people with disabilities and for environmental conservation through upcycling.
What is fashion according to you?
Fashion is something we deal with every day.
Please tell us about the upcoming ‘Kimuli Fashionability Sustainable and Inclusive Fashion show’?
Kimuli Fashionability Sustainable and Inclusive Fashion Show will be taking place on November 30th at SINA in Mpigi Town at 5 pm. The fashion show will celebrate, sustainability, creativity and inclusion with diverse categories of models (with disabilities, plus size and abled), designs and demonstrate that disability is not inability.
What inspired you to organize the show?
The Inclusion of all abled and disabled models plus changing the perception and myths people have towards people with disabilities, plus size models and to change people’s mindset that waste can be worn.
What should revelers expect at the show?
The revelers should expect to see all models of different categories (with disabilities, plus size and abled), designs and demonstrate that disability is not inability, The Inclusive and Sustainable Fashion show will be showcasing designs of multiple national designers, most of which will be modeled by people with various types of disabilities, and the event will be broadcasted by CNN. All of the event’s proceeds will be going towards the construction of a new production & training centre for people with disabilities.
This new production centre will allow us to train and employ 15 more people into our “Trainers for Trainers” program, where they will be working as part of our production team. With an increased production capacity, we can increase our sales and thus provide even more training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
We would really appreciate you taking part in this event and invite you to be a part of it!
What have been some of your career highs?
The Kimuli rain jacket from upcycled plastic sugar sacks made by disabled Ugandans has been displayed and auctioned at the UN General Assembly in New York for high level awareness to inspire policy making towards environmental sustainability and inclusiveness. By 2025 Kimuli Fashionability envisions to have trained 600 persons with disabilities as trainers of trainers in their communities to meet the 2030 goal of reducing plastic waste disposal by 70%. We were the Global Greenpreneur award winners 2019 in Korea assigned along by Ban KI Moon and Ugandan Young employers of the year 2019. I was selected as a speaker and a panelist to present our upcycled fashion in Germany at the at Bildkorrekturren fair fashion conference 2017, I won the Ugandan Ye-Community Award 2018, became a TEEP Fellow, our Rain coat jackets were showcased as the first runners up in the AWIEF Awards 2018.
What are some of the challenges you have encountered?
Changing people’s mindset on disability and waste, the market and working space is not conducive for people with disabilities.
What advise would you give any one that wants to join the upcycling fashion industry?
The message I can give to anyone who wants to join upcycling fashion is that in Upcycling Fashion there are a lot of opportunities because you always think outside the box by brining something innovative which Is not even on market but ends up selling you to nations for example I innovated a raincoat jacket out of sugar sacks but in the end it has connected me to a lot of people and opportunities. I would want the youth to try each and every opportunity that comes across their way, through partnerships, networking and hard work. Do not wait to have lots of money to start, start small and grow big as you learn from failures.
Quick Five
- The most Ugandan thing about me is
Culture - My guilty pleasure is
Slaying on Snap chart - If I could meet anyone dead or alive it would be
My Mum because I lost her when I was 10 years. - We would talk about
My vision and goals that I want to achieve in life. - Most Favorites
Music and Fashion.
Be sure to attend the Kimuli Fashionability Sustainable and Inclusive Fashion Show that will be taking place (today) November 30, at the Social Innovation Academy in Mpigi Town.
VIP Tickets go for Shs. 50,000
Table for 5 people go for Shs. 400,000
General go for Shs. 15,000
Gates open by 5:00pm
