The tie, well respected in its corporate context has recently become prevalent in the hip-hop culture and more specific the casual dress code. Today, fashion seems to revolve around impulse. Many don’t seem to follow the latest fashion trends but endeavor to develop a personal point of view. Recently, a DJ friend of mine, who had oddly tried to match a t-shirt with a tie gave impression of what looked to me like ‘haphazard dressing.’ But a closer look at the world of celebrity actors and musicians, their influence in music enormously extends to fashion. Some of them have popular brands like Piddy a.k.a Sean Combs. They have used the power of fame to influence the world of fashion. In Rwanda with scarcity of fashion professionals and with most clothes imported; few can explain the recent transformation of the tie. Many clothing stores that I inquired couldn’t explain the connection between the tie and the casual code of dressing. They maintained that the tie was strictly for the corporate look. Amani Kaliisa, one of the few professional designers in Rwanda, with six years in the fashion business, however refuted this revealing that the tie has found its way into casual dressing. She maintains that currently there is no strict trend. “Globally, fashion is changing rapidly. Musicians dress the way they want. They put it [tie] on and fold the sleeves of the shirt. Today, acrobats and even cheer leaders incorporate the tie in their costumes.” At the moment she has a shop at Union Trade Center in Kigali under the label Amani-k. She explains that celebrities with free-style tendencies have radicalised fashion and spread the same culture across the world. “I have seen Will Smith dressed in a tie and a t-shirt and coat. Usually, it is the brand name that matters most not the dress code,” she said. Kaliisa explains the odd fashion is a result of mass following of celebrities who also combine famous labels of some famous designers. “The celebrities are usually the origin of the extraordinary changes in fashion. Usually it’s the brand name as one of the reasons they dress oddly and then all of us follow the trend.” However, the design professional explained that the tie originated with cheerleaders incorporated short ties in their costumes. This trend was later taken up by the corporate world. May be we can say that after years of identifying with the corporate class, the tie is returning to its roots. Ends
