Filbert Mkwiche has always loved fashion.
Due to the influence of his parents who he credits as his first contact with fashion, he grew up around color, prints, and being given creative liberty to play around with pieces. From our conversation, it is evident that a lot of his fashion influence stemmed from the patriarchs of his family. He fondly remembers his first encounter with luxury and fashion- from styling his father and guiding him on how to not match his ties to his pocket ties, to his grandfather who was the epitome of luxury through the grandeur with which he lived his life.
Years later, that young boy
with thirst and untamable
curiosity for fashion
has grown to be one of the biggest fashion designers in Kenya. If there is an ideal balance between being bold, stylish, and unique, Filbert wants to strike it. He refers to himself as the King of extra, rightfully so, for there is nothing ordinary about his designs.
He strives to push his clients to think outside of the box of what people have defined as acceptable fashion and instead bring to life the unconventional ideas they have in mind. “Defy boundaries, even though society won’t be accepting of it,” he said.
In an industry where talented
creative people can toil for
years before their first big break,
his trajectory from an International Relations student to one of the most in-demand young stylists in Kenya has been meteoric. Having started off designing and selling clothes while in university, he fondly reminisces of how he grew Fintan Fashion from a simple room that only had the basic equipment that he needed to build the vision he had for his brand.
Like any journey, his was riddled with self-doubt and uncertainty from the pressure to ensure his business grows as he imagined it. Almost ten years later, he looks back to his humble beginnings with fondness and appreciation for his clients who stood by him and supported his business through all its seasons of growth.
“”My pride and joy is my work preceding me and people identifying me as Filbert, the designer before anything else.”
"I am a dreamer, and I feel that
I need to bring forth these ideas
to share them with people, and
ultimately change or impact their lives."
His dreamer personality is evident in his work that has explored the changing nature of Kenyan fashion and rewritten conventional notions of what is fashionable in the country. Filbert strives to embrace a nonconformist approach to all his designs, a direction that many are yet to embrace in a world where people are pressured to live their lives in a certain way. He utilizes such vibrant colors and prints in his work, that his designs have become almost impossible to ignore. ” My designs are anchored on accentuating the melanin of anyone who wears them and making it stand out, ” he explains.
“I feel like I have fulfilled my goal when I make someone feel special when I deliver the ideas they have in mind. Seeing people happy in my pieces makes me happy”
As a designer whose work evokes luxury, he describes luxury as life. ” I work hard, just to achieve what I want and to live the luxurious life I deserve.” Even though he describes himself as a connoisseur for the luxurious life, his go-to luxury practice is his time alone; something simple, yet often overlooked and underrated as a form of self-care.
As a designer whose work evokes luxury, he describes luxury as life. ” I work hard, just to achieve what I want and to live the luxurious life I deserve.” Even though he describes himself as a connoisseur for the luxurious life, his go-to luxury practice is his time alone; something simple, yet often overlooked and underrated as a form of self-care.
“Luxury is your comfort. If you have achieved your level of comfort, then that is your definition of luxury.”
As a designer who prefers being in the limelight, he believes that YM Life has enabled him to push boundaries by putting him out there and being associated with his brand, Fintan Fashion.” I have always preferred to have my work go ahead of me, but with the growth I have experienced in the past two years, I am starting to see the need to have myself as the face of the brand.”
He believes that YM Life will be pivotal for him and other designers as they will open up their brands to new audiences and markets that they are yet to explore. As a designer who once felt constrained, he advises upcoming fashion designers to push themselves and be assertive. He believes that collaboration is a tool that designers should embrace to give them larger platforms and opportunities to grow.
“Stylist”
@fintanfashion
“Make up”
Nirbas Beauty
“Photography”
@panzigo
“Location”
Aoko Creative
