The Fusione collection will attempt to tap into the heritage of the both the Kisua and Yoox brands
The Fusione collection will attempt to tap into the heritage of the both the Kisua and Yoox brands

When he travelled through Africa he frequently bought clothes made from brightly coloured African fabric for friends.

Soon he was taking orders from friends of his friends for the beautiful pieces he found and, soon after, he launched an online shop called Kisua, to sell clothes made by African designers. Kisua means "well-dressed person" in Swahili. 

That was more than four years ago and this month Kisua launches the Fusione collection for Yoox, a leading fashion e-tail site that has been going since 2000.

The Fusione collection is part of Yooxygen, Yoox's socially and environmentally responsible destination that has created collaborations with international organisations such as Green Cross International, and has developed projects with designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Livia Firth and Amber Valletta.

The Fusione collection attempts to tap into the heritage of both brands, bringing together the vibrant African prints, for which Kisua is well known, and classic Italian silhouettes that speak to Yoox's roots.

''The 14-piece collection has been designed with the cosmopolitan woman in mind," says Jill Grogro, publicist for the collection.

''Flattering tailoring with artfully placed pleats define the waist on the Centro pencil skirt and Metro maxi dress, while flared hemlines speak volumes for the Città jacket and Cardio pants. Clean shapes are brought to life with bold prints referencing Ndebele wall-painting traditions."

The entire collection was designed and manufactured in Africa, says Mensah.

The garments were made in South Africa with cotton fabrics sourced from Ghana and Ivory Coast.

"We are promoting trade between African countries and between Africa and the world.

"In the process, we're helping to create jobs and advance the development of the fashion industry on the African continent," he says.

The Fusione collection is designed for the 'cosmopolitan woman'
The Fusione collection is designed for the 'cosmopolitan woman'
Image: Supplied

The Kisua SS17 Fusione collection is available at Kisua Hyde Park Corner Johannesburg, Menlyn Park Pretoria or globally on kisua.com or at yoox.com


This article was originally published in The Times.

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