After six years of waiting, the highly anticipated Uganda International Fashion Week (UIFW) runway is finally here.
The week-long fashion celebration, which kicked off on Sunday, August 30th, will climax with a grand finale, tomorrow Saturday, September 5, at the Kampala Serena Hotel’s Victoria Marquee.
The UIFW grand finale runway gala will bring together some of Africa’s most exciting fashion talent for an evening of creativity, culture and business.
Running under the theme “Fashion for Impact,” the UIFW return edition has positioned fashion beyond the runway, highlighting its growing role as a driver of economic opportunity, cultural diplomacy, innovation, sustainability and employment across Africa.
The excitement has been building throughout the week, with international designers already in the country and actively participating in UIFW’s activities.
Among them is Kenya’s Hellen Tolbert, Nigeria’s Ikpen Yvonne Akwitti, Ghana’s Eunice Blessing, Zimbabwe’s Danayi Madondo, South Africa’s Kwenzi Nkomo and India’s Rahul Singh, whose participation brings an Asian perspective to the otherwise predominantly African fashion showcase.
The designers are united by a strong emphasis on sustainability, with many drawing inspirations from their local cultures and relying on locally available materials and traditional techniques in creating their collections. They will bring these interpretations of heritage and contemporary fashion to the runway on Saturday.
For Nigerian designer Ikpen Yvonne Akwitti, founder of IK-PEN, culture is an important part of telling Africa’s fashion story.
“Sustainability is a very big subject in the world of fashion, and luckily Africa is blessed with all the natural resources essential to making strong fabrics. We have the best cotton here to make any type of clothing we wish. For IK-PEN, we incorporate Adire, Aso-oke, Kente and Akwete to blend Africa’s rich heritage with contemporary designs. I’m very excited and can’t wait to showcase my designs tomorrow,” she said.
The international presence will be matched by some of Uganda’s finest designers, including Lincoln Axarya, Anita Beryl, Natasha Rubadiri and UIFW founder and lead designer of Arapapa, Santa Anzo.
Their collections will showcase the depth of Uganda’s creative talent while drawing from the country’s cultural heritage through materials and fabrics such as barkcloth, kikoyi and kitenge, alongside contemporary fashion.
But for UIFW, the grand finale is not simply about what happens on the runway. It is the culmination of a week designed to connect fashion with opportunity.
Speaking ahead of the gala, Santa Anzo, founder of the Uganda International Fashion Week, said the event was deliberately structured to create opportunities for young creatives to connect with markets, mentors and established players in the industry.
“We opened the week with a Fashion and Business Expo that happened for three days, simply because we wanted these young creatives to be connected to markets, and for the public to finally recognise and purchase their products. Our young creatives were able to get one-on-one mentorship and knowledge, as well as build relationships with experienced designers in the industry,” Anzo said.
She added that the runway would be another opportunity to demonstrate how fashion can translate creativity into employment and sustainable livelihoods.
“On Saturday, every cloth showcased will be an inspiration that contributes to employment and dignified livelihoods for young creatives,” she said.
The models who will take to the runway have also undergone extensive preparation under the guidance of South African fashion producer Andiswa Manxiwa, who is producing the UIFW 2026 grand finale alongside deputy producer Cindy Lee.
The pair have been mentoring the models in runway presentation, movement and performance, bringing international experience and standards to their preparation for the showcase.
Beyond the runway, the gala will also provide an opportunity for interaction and networking, bringing together designers, industry leaders, CEOs, investors and cultural figures. Fashion exhibitions, networking sessions and business-to-business linkages will further reinforce UIFW’s focus on turning creative talent into viable business opportunities.
With the final preparations now underway, designers are putting the finishing touches to their collections, refining details and working with their teams to ensure everything is ready for the runway.
The event starts at 6pm, with doors to the Victoria Marquee opening earlier to allow guests to arrive and settle in.
Tickets are still on sale through the MTN MoMo App or by dialing *165*20#, priced at UGX 250,000 for Platinum, UGX 150,000 for Gold and UGX 100,000 for Silver.
