Designer Spotlight: Meet Rahma Bajun The Creative Director Pioneering Afrocentric Fashion In Tanzania

Apart from the fact that African wears are colorful and visually appealing, they are cultural elements. In other words, you can tell the ethnicity of some people by simply looking at their attire. Nevertheless, the eclipse of modernity sometimes seems to interfere with how stylish people regard African apparel.

Thankfully, designers like Rahma Bajun are helping to rewrite that narrative. The creative African designer has brought African clothing sense to the world in such an irresistible manner, thereby increasing the international acceptability of African garments.

In this week’s episode of Designer Spotlight, Africanvibes presents the ingenuity and creativity of Rahma Bajun that is deepening the water channel of African fashion so that it will freely flow to other continents.

Who is Rahma Bajun?

Rahma Bajun is a personality endowed in all aspects of life. She is a development expert, feminist advocate, an author of The Wave-Migraineur Memoir and an award-winning creative consultant. As a project manager, she is conversant with governance, accountability, justice and rule of law.

She is also conversant with grantmaking, advocacy, budget management, democracy, natural resources management and advocacy for youth and marginalized groups (disabled). It is not surprising because she studied Sociology between 2008 and 2011 in the University of Dar es Salaam where she also bagged her masters degree in Research and Public Policy in 2017.

Even with all these pedigrees, Rahma did not neglect her passion for Africa. Rahma grew up to love African fashion. Because of her love, she would always look for African prints but there was a problem. She noticed that the demand for African wears was higher than the supply thus creating a wide gap in commercialization and acceptance. Due to her innate passion for African garments, she decided to open a fashion line called MnM clothing line.

MnM Clothing line is an afro-centric fashion enterprise. Using the famous African Kitenge material, the creative director alongside seven of her staff dishes out different designs of clothing as well as accessories like book covers, wallet, neck pillow, round seats etc.

Categories of fashion Products by Rahma Bajun

Children’s wears

Most times, it is difficult to find a suitable child’s wear because children always want to wear comfortable and easy clothes. They do not care about the current trends but parents do. Rahma knows all these. That is why she creatively brought out these trendy and comfortable children’s wears.

Create the perfect family bond by wearing identical gowns from MnM Clothing Line with your child. As simple as they look, they are very comfortable and trendy. These Ankara wears have no embroidery yet, there is a royal touch to them that increases your longing.

Having a boy child is not a problem as they are well represented in MnM Clothing Line. Rahma makes her products as appealing as possible. The energy and work put into each work come back to make a significant signature in the fashion world.

Females’ wears

Rahma Bajun is not just a fashion director, she is also an activist and feminist. Therefore, it will not be out of place for MnM to dedicate part of her whole creativity to carving out new and comfortable African clothing for women.

MnM converted this Ankara prints into loose-fitting gown to give pregnant and nursing mothers option of appearing stylish without throwing away their comfort. Its simplicity also discourages gaudy fashion.

Bubuu is an African loose gown worn mostly by women to conceal their shapes without looking unattractive. However, to capture attention while wearing bubuu, there is a need to have a good fashion designer. The above was made in Tanzania to give savory taste to women. Rahma provides waist belt here to bring out some feminine looks from the gown.

When females say that pink is a feminine color, the above bubuu is what they have in mind. However, like a bland soup which needs spicing, Rahma adds some fragments of creativity at the helm of the gown to make another fashion statement.

Formal Wears

Do you observe that the color of the lady’s skin tones with the color combination of the suit? This is what happens when you stay around a professional stylist like Rahma. This safari suit is simple yet it creates that consciousness of African fashion.

Blazers

Making fashion statement is not just making clothes off the ordinary setting. It means being unique in a peculiar style without causing sight conflict. With Ankara material, Rahma makes suits thereby giving her clients a formal look as well as making them ambassadors of African continent.

Casual wears

There is a need to appear casual at home, when visiting a friend in the neighborhood or just expecting visitors. This type of African emblem on round neck gives you an identity as an African. It also serves as a souvenir that can easily be mass produced by MnM clothing Line.

This collarless shirt from MnM is very comfortable for it allows full movement of air even though it is well fitted. Rahma made this shirt so that you have the option of wearing it under your lightweight blazer in a way that will make you to look official.

Other items made by Rahma Bajun

Rahma does not only provide fashionable clothing for her clients, she also looks at other things that can be made with cloths. These items are a mixture of passion, ingenuity and creativity.

Seats

In MnM, seats do not only mean an object of relaxation and comfort, it also means a peculair way of representing human origin. With the aid of a carpenter, Rahma is able to give seat an African identity. The seat above is both modern and African.

Bags

Backpack is important for it helps in organizing equipment and accessories needed by either students or hikers. Travelers often use it for easy movement during journey. Therefore, MnM makes a backpack that is African both in origin and in look.

This classy handbag has a harmony of Ankara and leather. You can carry your daily essentials while looking classy. It has a strap so that you can hang it on the shoulder while on the move.

Neck pillow

Neck pillow seems to be the most creative work for Rahma. Falling asleep during long journeys can be very uncomfortable, yet, near impossible to avoid. The provision of neck pillow to help people support their neck is phenomenal. Rahma truly understands that prevention is much better than cure.

Rahma made this neck support so that you can hang it over your neck and tie it to be firm. The soft cushion inside the pillow is so light that your shoulder will never feel that something is on it. Yet, it is firm enough to hold your head in place while you doze.

Conclusion

In 2018, Bajun was listed in Forbes Magazine, among 30 most young promising entrepreneurs in Africa and also among the top ten young african entrepreneurs in 2019. The midas’ touch of Rahma in the fashion world has led many non-Africans to embrace African fashion. Therefore, it is not surprising that Rahma is writing her name on the sands of time. It only takes a giant decision to follow your passion and the world will celebrate you like Rahma Bajun.