Derek Sano is a vocalist with boy band Active. He is also an airport operations student at Rwanda Tourism University College (RTUC) with a love for soccer, IT, fashion and modeling. He shared some of his style preferences with Society Magazine’s Stephen Kalimba.

As a young singer, what determines your fashion style?

Normally, I consider the destination, the people and the weather when it comes to choosing something to wear. I have a bizarre sense of style. I only go for grey, white, blue, black and red.

At a show, I don’t blend more than two colours. There are people of all ages at some of these shows so I have to appeal to most of them. People sometimes respond to your music based on how you look so I need to be smart.

What is your preference as far as footwear is concerned?

I’m not a fan of sneakers, like Jordans for example. I like corporate shoes, preferably leather or suede. I like moccasins too.

How do you blend this with your bizarre sense of style?

By bizarre I mean unique; something nobody else does.

Do you have a specific designer?

I’m my own designer. For the clothes we wear (Active), I look for a style and consult with my friends to see if it’s good. I have friends out of the country so I tell them what I want and they help me find the material. I then look for a good tailor. After the show we keep them in case we might need them later. People ask us about the clothes, but it’s what makes us stand out so we keep it secret.

What accessories do you go for?

I like rings; I can wear three rings at times. I like watches too like Rolex, mostly in gold. Rings are unique; they give you a different look.

What’s your fashion weakness?

I don’t wear more than two colours, so I’m a bit predictable. Anyone who knows me knows what to get me when it comes to clothes.

What fashion styles do you advise people to avoid?

I can’t discourage or recommend anything, fashion is like a language. I can wake up in a bad mood and decide to wear something dull. If I wake up cheerful I will wear something bright. But, I hate baggy shirts. We should try to blend our culture with our own style.

Any fashion advice?

Fashion is an art, I don’t want to come off as a judge but I would say let’s not forget our culture. It revolves around the mushanana and kitenge, but we can use it to blend with modern designs. If you’re in another country, they should be able to tell where your design is from.

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