Ugandan who conquered fashion in Australia
Mutesi (R), and a friend who is also one of her models, show off some of her designs.
What you need to know:
Born in Uganda in 1986, she moved to Australia in 2002 and has lived there since. She is an actress, model and a recognised fashion designer in Sydney.
On October 31, this year, the 28-year-old was awarded Best African fashion icon at the AAMMA Awards 2014. She has also previously won African Fashion Designer of the Year 2012, and at the Celebrate African Australians in 2012 and 2013.
On the local scene, Mutesi recently took home the award Fashion Contributor in the Diaspora at the Abryanz Style and Fashion Awards (Afsa).
Suzan Mutesi was born in Uganda in 1986, but moved to Australian in 2002.
After her high school, she enrolled at the Raffles College of Design and Commerce, where she studied fashion design. She also has a certificate in acting from the Naida Acting School. Mutesi went on to start her own fashion label, originally called Achea-mpong, which means higher achievements.
Making it in the fashion industry was not easy since no one knew her, but her break eventually came through an opportunity to showcase at the Raw Charity Show in Australia for fundraising for water in Rwanda.
Her other challenge was with the market she was creating her pieces for.
“Australians are very simple, so, I had to understand what the people wanted. My designs were majorly African prints and you know how busy these prints can be. So, I had to slowly learn how to create pieces they would feel comfortable in, while still maintaining their simple nature,” she explains.
She believes that creativity comes from within so she would still be as good as she is now, even if she had stayed here. “Maybe going abroad gave me the opportunity to meet the right people, but I believe I would be big here too even if I hadn’t gone abroad,” she adds.
Mutesi, however, expresses disappointment at Ugandans’ lack of appreciation for local designs. “We can get European clothes, but we need to embrace our own such as the kikoyi and busuti,” she says, adding, “It’s also amazing how people in South Africa and Nigeria have serious fashion weeks. That is something I want to bring here.”
One-on-one
What is the most daring fashion choice you have made?
Turning up the heat by designing a sheer see-through hand-beaded couture gown that has been worn by Sydney celebrities and also featured in magazines such as Vogue Australia and Tropic Magazine.
What is the biggest fashion mistake women make?
Showing too much of anything doesn’t make you look sexy! It’s one of the worst fashion mistakes in my book and pretty much any book out there. Sure, we can turn a blind eye but only if you are younger than 20. Showing it all doesn’t guarantee you attention or, at least, not any positive attention.
What would be your advice when it comes to accessories?
Accessories clearly need no presentation as women around the world love to accessorise to add style and personality to their outfits. In fact, accessories are known to speak more about a person than their clothes.
It is no wonder that choosing the proper ones is mandatory for looking good and impressing others with our unique fashion sense. Accessories can, however, also get into conflict with the other pieces of one’s attire, hence the need to pick them carefully.
Do you collect anything?
I collect and also make some accessories such as earrings, rings and neckpieces.
Has being a fashion designer influenced the way you dress?
Yes. I always remember to dress for my fans and clients.
What is the hardest piece of clothing you have made?
It is a wedding gown I made for my sister. It was hard because that is the design I always had in mind for my own gown. It was quite emotional.
Who do you dream to dress in your pieces?
I dream to dress Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Beyonce, Kerry Washington, Lupita Nyong’o, Tika Sumpter, Porcha Stewart, Iryn Namubiru, and Juliana Kanyomozi.
Factfile
Suzan Mutesi was born to Petua Eunice and James Mufumbiro in Mulago hospital on June 21, 1986. She says she is a Musoga.
Editorial appearances: Promoter Magazine, Ok! Magazine, Vogue Australia, Australia’s Channel 10, AIM magazine, and now Full Woman magazine.
Who has worn her designs: Kelly Rowland, Anna Heinrich from The Bachelor 2012, Australian fashion blogger Antoinette, Diana Roves.
