Abstract

Each year, ships filled with tons of discarded secondhand clothes from Europe and Americaarrive to the coast of East Africa to be sold, often ending up in colossal landfills due to the poor condition in which they arrive. The government of Rwanda, following its policy guidelines of agaciro, or autonomy, decided to ban the importation of all secondhand clothing in 2018, with the objective of developing the local fashion industry. This considerably transformed the fashion landscape in Rwanda, and although this initial objective of stimulating production for local consumption did not succeed, it did contribute in propelling Kigali-based designers to new heights in the international fashion scene. This thesis analyzes this Kigali fashion scene as a way to garner critical insights from its designers on the way that the industry works, and on ways in which they break free from the power dynamics imposed by colonization and globalization.