going on. Wanjiku explains further, “We can’t keep at the banks. We have to jump into the river and deal with these situations head-on to better our future.” Hisi Studio’s future is ‘Accessible,’ and Wanjiku adds that “We are wading in the water in that way to contend for our accessible future.” Apart from this new collection, her latest design collaboration is with Vaa KE. Vaa KE is a Kenyan designer who uses thrift fabrics to design beautiful kimonos. This unique collaboration
Hisi Studio also adopts the Subtraction cutting process while creating its clothing. This fabric-cutting process has ensured minimal wastage of fabric. This waste fabric is then sold to local furniture stores, then used for stuffing pillows, sofas, and beds. Furthermore, Wanjiku uses recycled PET bottles for printing braille quotes on her designs. The second is Social sustainability. “People are at the heart of what we do,” shares Wanjiku. She is always keen on engaging
CURATING A NEW SHOPPING EXPERIENCE The shopping experience for the visually impaired is an undeveloped territory, especially in Africa. However, Wanjiku has successfully hacked the online part of it. By June, the brand also expects to be available in two stores in Kenya and grow into a few more by the end of the year. Currently, the fashion brand has its online shop on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. With each product image, there is a detailed photo description and alt. text. Most of the visually impaired people in Kenya have Android smartphones. They can use the Google TalkBack Accessibility feature to help scan the QR code easily. So each garment tag hosts a scannable QR code. It reads out the type, size, and color of the garment along with its Wash & Care instructions. The best part about Wanjiku’s designs is that they are beautiful garments designed for all, not only the visually impaired. They are designed to make you feel confident. SUSTAINABILITY IS FASHIONABLE Wanjiku has her core beliefs set in sustainability. Hence she invests in ethical production practices. With Hisi Studio, she challenges sustainable fashion in two vastly iconic ways. One is environmental sustainability. The material used for the designs is cotton. To make it more eco-friendly than it already is, she plans to only use rain-fed cotton. She also believes in thrifting excess fabric stock, which is secured from the Maziwa market in the Kenyan Exports Processing Zone.
tailors, factories, and women with children who need to work remotely. She employs people with disabilities who can stitch and sew and do beadwork. All because she understands that this is how she can help regulate the local economy in the community. FROM BRAILLE TO YOUR HEARTS Wanjiku integrates braille on clothing for the user to interact with. She also adds it to create sighted people. It sparks curiosity about the dots on the clothes, initiates new conversations about braille, helping to champion braille awareness. Each collection an appealing aesthetic for
features a line of Kimonos created with thrifted fabric as well as the braille aesthetic. Manifesting as a 10-piece capsule collection, Vaa KE and Hisi Studio are breaking ground in the Kenyan fashion industry. THE FUTURE OF ADAPTIVE FASHION Fashion is slowly but surely becoming inclusive and adaptive. More brands and people with disabilities are now joining this crucial movement. Wanjiku remarks that in the US, Europe, and the UK, the inclusivity movement is huge. As an adaptive
designer, she hopes to see more African brands design inclusive and adaptive clothing. She would love to see more accessible stores with staff trained in helping people with disabilities. She is also keen on seeing more work opportunities for people with disabilities by employing them for their strengths.
has a key inspiration printed on the clothes in braille. Hisi Studio’s previous collection featured the phrase, “The less we see with our eyes, the more we see with our hearts.” Her latest collection of June 2023 features the quote, “Wade in The Water, Contend for Your Future.” inspired by our current decade, the 2020s. Wanjiku addresses of our current global issues—social unrest, health crises, racism, poverty, climate change, and so much more. She wants to inspire people to keep
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