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Sam Omindo’s fateful path led him from thrifting stylish pieces from Gikomba market, to starting a business importing suits from Istanbul to co-founding his own menswear brand, Genteel, in 2017.
Not only does his bespoke tailoring and off duty looks embrace a wild appreciation for colour and print, his designs are also attentive to Kenyan bodies with Genteel having developed its own size chart based in the measurements of over 250 Kenyan men.
Ian also ensures Genteel has cultural resonance by working with skilled artisans in Kibera (a severely underprivileged neighbourhood of Nairobi) and now setting out on a quest to explore the aesthetics of pastoral communities across the country.
in conversation With Genteel
Words by Samra Mayanja
Where does your appreciation for colour stem from?
Sam: I’ve come to appreciate that colour plays a major part in me because it not only enlivens the mood, but emotionally speaking it sends a certain message, too. One time I took a hot air balloon to go and see wildebeests crossing the Mara River. I remember vividly the beautiful display of the African sun rising in the morning and seeing different hues of blue, yellow and orange as the sun’s rays pierced through the atmosphere.
Wow! This reminds me of being a child in Uganda and the feeling of the sunset. Those colours still bring me comfort. In the same vein, would you agree Genteel’s designs centre joy?
Sam: The feeling of dressing well, and the feeling that dressing well gives me, is something I want to translate into the work. Wearing things that never really fit was a norm in the past but people deserve so much better.
What else has made you smile recently?
Sam: It’s been really tough this year but the fact that I’ve had personal growth - courtesy of my meditation - to become a lot calmer and to have more gratitude, is something that has made me happy.
Sometimes this year I have felt like escaping to the moon! If you could fly to the moon what would you love to see?
Sam: The sight of Earth from space. Being able to soak in silence and appreciate the reflection of the sun on the Earth’s atmosphere. I’d look at the Earth at night and see all the light dots scattered across the globe.
Off we go then! Back on planet Earth, what excites you about fashion in Kenya that we need more of in the UK?
Sam: On the textiles front, the most traditional communities do work that really interests me. There’s a community in Makueni in Eastern-Central Kenya who are using bamboo to make fabric. It comes out really nicely. I’m also appreciating the beading technique of the Samburu people. And as we have discussed, Kenyans are very generous with colours, which has everything to do with relaying the beauty that we see in the savannah and laying this out in our fashion. The UK can borrow a lot from this. Be a bit more bold!
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Samra Mayanja is an artist and writer with poetics at the centre of her processes. Mayanja predominantly makes performances and films. She also writes from within the work of other artists and designers. This writing is an attempt to attentively archive the work made by those on the peripheries with love.
@samra_mayanja
“Kenyans are very generous with colours, which has to do with relaying the beauty that we see in the savannah”
Sam Omindo
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