Marcus Gravey once said; “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without rootsâ€
Yet, every day, our history is written in books, on paper, and in our thoughts. But somehow, without our knowledge, our origin is lost in translation but our culture is embedded in our vocabulary.
A new generation rose that sought to preserve it, in whichever way we knew how. We forged friendships that surpassed tribe, race, religion or political affiliation. But, these new roots needed a voice, so we gave birth to a common language. We need a song, so, we forged our own tune. We needed an outlet to express our creativity and through this, we gave rise to our urban culture.
We intertwined our words, songs, and style to complement our expressions and attitude…to speak our truth! And this truth is visible through our clothing, on our streets, in our greetings, through that nod of approval, or the secret language our eyes speak when we meet one of our own…
Urban fashion, more specifically, graphic tees, has served as a creative outlet for many people, I being one of the hundreds maybe millions. A coined phrase, a quick comeback, a pop of color here, and a uniquely Kenyan graphic there… that dares capture my unspoken expression.
This closet staples, might seem elusive, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Regardless of your busy schedule, or your inability to decide which statement (Ati / I am a Nairobian / Mwanume Ni Wallet) best suits you. It’s refreshing to know that enterprising Kenyans are hitting the fast-passed highway that I call the Internet.
Internet connectivity is fueling the desire for Kenyan urban designers to to offer interactive, and convenient shopping experiences. Take, for example, my two favorite brands.
Nairobi by Mateeshoh
Mateeshoh, whose mission is to make it easier for anyone to find their favorite tastefully designed t-shirt offers a simple shopping experience through their user-friendly site. They accept several modes of payment including cash on delivery and to top it all, off delivery is absolutely free, that, and their customer care is amazing (shout out to you Nelson).
African Gothic Mens tee by ChilliMango
Then there is ChilliMango, the brainchild of Njeri- an urban brand with a cause (10% of every purchase goes to a charity). The clothes are inspired by different cultures. The carefully thought out African themed t-shirts have a way of evoking a memory. The black mamba reminds me of the countless number of bike riders that I see headed home to their families after a long day’s work. The boom-box Maasai, is the guy who kept watch over me in South C. Jiko takes me back to after-school sessions with the corner maize vendor Juma handing me finger burning roast maize sprinkled in chilly and lemon and wrapped in husks. Ordering is simply, you can either call or email them with your order and they’ll deliver. Last time I checked, there was a delivery fee but that doesn’t compare to the sight of your new favorite tee.
As with all things, urban fashion is uniquely characterized by you. Whatever your preference, there’s an online urban wear store looking to forge an exclusive relationship with you. Other highly recommended urban wear brands, include: MyRobi, Vazi, Common Roots, Bonk, and Urban Phunk.