ELISABETH BERABOSE, founder of Berabose fashion brand, has launched her first collection called 27. After starting her career as a fashion designer, Berabose worked on her very first collection, named 27, which was launched through a film called 27. The 27 collection was launched on May 27, at Norrsken Kigali, and it was attended by local renowned fashion icons and international fashion designers, and different models from Rwanda. Number 27 was the events main theme since the designer worked on the collection in her 27th year and her birthdate is on June 27, plus May 27, which is her mothers birthday. The renowned designer believes that women are the worlds true and strongest workforce, particularly in Africa, and that investing in their human capital is one way to help them obtain freedom and break free from traditional roles. Berabose employs only women and offers them fair contracts, safe working spaces, and reasonable working hours. Berabose Designs is a woman-owned, eco-friendly, and ethical clothing brand promoting womens empowerment and sustainability. Empowering women is at the core of Berabose Designs identity, she added. The 27-year-old designer believes that women are the worlds true and strongest workforce, particularly in Africa, and that investing in their human capital is one way to help them obtain freedom and break free from traditional roles. Berabose employs only women and offers them fair contracts, safe working spaces, and reasonable working hours. Speaking of being sustainable, Berabose made sure that the 27 collection is even more eco-friendly by ensuring sustainable processes throughout the entire production chain. For this first collection, we used certified organic cotton sourced in Tanzania. In collaboration with Afriek, a local company, they took the lead in processing and weaving the cotton locally, the designer said. In order to become more environmentally friendly. Berabose used plant-based dyes and agricultural waste to ensure sustainable and eco-friendly dyeing of the clothes, which was done in collaboration with Handspun Hope, an organisation based in Musanze. In addition to that, they decided to use their signature zero-waste labels, where all their labels are made out of banana barks known as Ibirere in Kinyarwanda. Berabose uses this to combat environmental deterioration and climate change by promoting sustainable and environmentally conscientious consumption. Berabose said the launch was a total success even though she encountered a lot of ups and downs on the way. The result however, was much more than she expected, which she is grateful for. It was all ups and downs. Honestly, I had to think on many things, diversify a lot, and I learned that I have to always come up with solutions in every situation, but it was all worth it because this was incredible, said the designer. The audience that was present during the launch mainly was the crew behind the whole film, and they were all hyped and full of anticipation for their work, plus the praise they had for Berabose. The experience was amazing, and everyone was just supportive and friendly. It was my first time modeling, and it all went well, said Blandine Kundwa, a model who participated. Berabose empowers women and allows you to dream and believe in yourself as a woman. The whole experience was just lovely and full of power, she added My experience in Berabose was incredible because the designs are unique, exquisite, and most importantly, Berabose includes LGBTQ people. Most designers do not do that, so we love Berabose for her inclusivity, said Tony Karanganwa, an activist and model. Participating in this launch was life-changing. It was more than what I expected from a fashion event. It was inclusive and based on artistry. There were dancers, models, and artists. It also included all sizes of models. That was some true diversity. It is not every day that you see that inclusivity, said Regis Mushimire, popularly known as Regis Ochi. Asked about the next step after launching the very first collection of Berabose, the designer said the goal is to create more and expand since she is into all kinds of designs and production. The artist plans on doing more than just Berabose clothes. The artist plans on doing movie production in the future.
