Talk

Bobby Kolade highlighted the disparity and discrimination in the movement of raw materials, clothing waste and people between the Global North and Global South.

Talk

02.07.2024: In a conversation with Fatima Njoya, Bobby Kolade critiques the disproportionate profits that European countries extract from the second-hand clothing industry. He highlights a loophole in trade laws designed by the EU and the World Trade Organisation which place import tax burdens on upcycled clothes entering Europe from Uganda.

Conversation

20.06.2024: In conversation with curator Louse Bennetts, Bobby Kolade takes the audience through BUZIGAHILL’s complex RETURN TO SENDER design process, with a step-by-step illustration of the making of a maxi shirt dress. 

Watch here

Showcase

11-14.06.2024: BUZIGAHILL made history as the first Ugandan brand to showcase at Pitti Uomo’s S|Style platform, with a look created using materials from Kering’s Material Innovation Lab in collaboration with Positive Materials.

Exhibition

16-30.05.2024

Workshop

26-29.03.2024: BUZIGAHILL, alongside brands from Peru, China, Chile, Ireland, Greece, and Italy, was invited to explore sustainably-produced fabrics at Kering’s Material Innovation Lab as part of preparations for the S|STYLE showcase at Pitti Uomo.

Talk

13.03.2024: In his keynote presentation, Bobby Kolade asks why Ugandans are selling fast-fashion waste from the Global North instead of weaving the cotton grown on their land. 

Watch the keynote here

Masterclass

01-08.03.2024: BUZIGAHILL’s immersive exhibition at the Sharjah Architectural Triennial was reactivated as a zero-waste workshop for students from the University of Sharjah’s Fashion Department, led by Bobby Kolade.

Merchandise

BUZIGAHILL produced official merchandise for the Sharjah Architecture Triennial. It took three months to source and dismantle 1700 pairs of jeans from Owino Market in Kampala and produce 1000 tote bags and 500 bucket hats.

Installation and Live Performance

11.11.2020-10.03.2024: BUZIGAHILL’s production studio in Kampala was recreated at the Al Qasimiyah School in Sharjah, and for the duration of the opening week, the entire production team was flown in to perform the defiant act of RETURN TO SENDER. Bales of second-hand clothes were specifically sourced from a sorting facility in one of Sharjah’s Free Zones.

RETURN TO SENDER as a performance was immersive: Visitors were invited to experience the team’s labour-intensive production processes first-hand. Some tried their hands at macramé knotting, some tried on the pieces being made and many shared their experiences with second-hand clothing in their parts of the world.

Festival

29.10.2023: Kantamanto is the largest second-hand clothing market in the world, receiving and processing 15 million garments weekly. Allies from Chile, Kenya, France, USA, Nigeria, and South Africa gathered to witness Kantamanto celebrate a culture of reuse, repair, upcycling, and remanufacturing.

A cohort of 30 upcycle fashion designers showcased their best on the runway, demonstrating one of the many creative ways Ghana is addressing the excess of imported used clothing.

OWO is powered by The Or Foundation.

Exhibition

16-17.10.2023: As part of the exhibition Knowing Cotton Otherwise, BUZIGAHILL  showcased RETURN TO SENDER at the museum shop.

Release Party

10.06.2023: In between plants, vinyl records and sets by Josh Caffé, Leala Rain and DJ Mapengo, RTS05 was launched at HAUS – Brixton’s favourite vinyl, plant and coffee shop.

Pop-up

09-20.06.2023: The Woven Threads pop-up was curated by Lagos Fashion Week and celebrated the craftsmanship of contemporary African brands including BUZIGAHILL.

BUZIGAHILL

The once prosperous Ugandan textile industry has suffered significantly since the 1970s and has not recovered from the shocks of market liberalisation and globalisation to be able to create jobs, textiles and clothing for the current population of 48.8 million. Cotton remains Uganda's third most important cash crop. However, 95% of all harvested fibre is exported for further processing, thereby missing out on opportunities for value-add jobs. Local fashion has quickly been replaced by imports of second-hand clothes and cheap, synthetic knock-offs from the Global North, which together are the leading source of all textile goods in the country: It is estimated that 80% of all clothing purchases in Uganda are second-hand.

There are only two remaining textile mills in the country that spin locally grown cotton to produce fabrics. They do not have the capacity to clothe Uganda – and certainly do not produce fabrics diverse enough to be used by contemporary Ugandan fashion designers. As a result, designers either work with textiles imported from Turkey and China, or use materials upcycled from second-hand clothes. However, Locally produced garments cannot compete against the low prices and diversity that second-hand clothing offers – these remain a threat to local economies and the environment.

Launch

27.04.2022: Handmade by a team of young Ugandans and modeled by close friends, DROP 01 launched with a special feature in The Guardian. This marked the beginning of the RETURN TO SENDER movement.

RETURN TO SENDER is produced with care and patience by our team of creative tailors at our studio in Kampala. We source bales of second-hand garments from clothing importers and individual pieces from vendors at Owino Market, one of the biggest second-hand clothing hubs in the world.

Each piece is cleaned and carefully studied before undergoing a transformational production process that utilises complex artisanal and industrial techniques. We build on each garment’s original heritage and enrich it with a new design identity.

Each piece is one of a kind and branded with an individual passport label indicating its origin, composition, production period, and a unique passport number.

Panel Talk

7-8.06.2022: On the topic of "Subverting Fashion’s Historical Exclusion," Bobby Kolade challenged the audience to consider not only where clothes are made but also where they ultimately end up. In a panel discussion with Dr. Marsha Dickson, co-founder of the Better Buying Institute, and moderated by Moussa Mchangama, Bobby critiqued the fast fashion industry, highlighting the issue of ultra-cheap, single-use T-shirts that reach their final destination in Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda, clogging landfills and washing up on beaches.

Talk

18.10.2022: Bobby Kolade was a speaker at the launch of the Regenerative Fashion Hub, alongside John Thackara and Orsola de Castro, co-founder of Fashion Revolution.

Exhibition

12.11.2022 - 16.04.2023: This exhibition explored the concept of consumption, questioning the effects of mass consumption and its socio-political, economic, and ecological implications. The display of RETURN TO SENDER fits into this curation as a powerful example of African-based solutions addressing the crisis caused by overconsumption in the Global North and its devastating environmental impact on the Global South.

Podcast

Hosted by Bobby Kolade and Nikissi Serumaga, this captivating podcast, created, recorded, and produced in the heart of Kampala, is a first-of-its-kind interrogation about the country’s textile past. The original six-part limited series looks into the complexities of the second-hand clothing supply chain, questioning whether it is the aid it promised to be – or a new frontier of colonialism and control in Africa. 

Through insightful interviews with a range of local stakeholders, the podcast offers a platform to engage in critical discussions. 

Listen here or wherever you find podcasts.

Costume Design

BUZIGAHILL designed costumes for the European tour of Soraya Lutangu Bonaventure’s hybrid performance ‘Taking Care of God’. 

Watch the performance on YouTube here.

Panel Talk

10-11.11.2021: Vogue Business senior sustainability editor Rachel Cernansky moderated a Vogue Business panel featuring Bobby Kolade, Michael Sadowski, The  RealReal’s Director of Sustainability, and climate consultant James Rogers. The discussion focused on the rise of fashion resale platforms and their potential to lessen the industry’s environmental impact by prolonging the lifespan of garments.

Watch here

Owino Market, Uganda's largest marketplace, traces its origins back to 1791. Originally established as a wholesale alternative for farmers’ produce, it served to supply other markets in Kampala and surrounding areas.

Over time, Owino has grown into one of the largest open-air markets in East Africa, covering 17 acres in the heart of Kampala. It is best known today for its vibrant trade in second-hand clothing—a sector that has significantly influenced Kampala’s economic landscape while presenting challenges to Uganda’s local textile industry.

Beyond its role in second-hand trade, Owino has quietly become a thriving hub for upcycling. Small-scale designers and artisans transform pre-loved clothing using locally developed techniques, breathing new life into discarded garments. Despite being underappreciated and often overlooked, this dynamic ecosystem has positioned Owino Market at the forefront of Uganda’s creative fashion industry.

In March 2016, the East African Community (EAC)—comprising Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi—proposed a ban on the importation of second-hand clothes. This initiative was part of a broader strategy to revive and protect local textile and leather industries, encouraging production with locally sourced materials from within member countries. The ban, set for implementation by 2019, aimed to address the challenges posed by inexpensive second-hand clothes, which made it difficult for local textile factories and self-employed tailors to compete.

However, the United States warned that this proposed ban would violate the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade agreement that grants Sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market. Faced with the threat of losing these trade privileges, most EAC nations withdrew their plans. Uganda and Tanzania dropped the ban to maintain their AGOA benefits, while Rwanda stood firm and faced partial suspension of its AGOA privileges as a consequence.

This scenario exemplifies the systemic economic imbalance between the Global North and South, where powerful nations leverage economic agreements to dictate trade policies. By threatening to withdraw trade benefits, the U.S. coerced East African nations into continuing the import of second-hand clothes, effectively stifling the growth of local industries and perpetuating economic dependency.

On August 4, 1972, President Idi Amin issued a decree expelling approximately 80,000 Asians from Uganda, granting them 90 days to leave the country.

Amin justified this drastic action by accusing the Asian community of economic sabotage and exploitation of local Ugandans, claiming the expulsion would restore economic control to indigenous citizens.

At the time, Asians managed a significant portion of Uganda's commercial sector, particularly the textile and clothing industries. Their expertise and technical skills were essential for operating complex industrial facilities. Following their abrupt departure, many Ugandans who stepped into their roles lacked the necessary experience to sustain operations effectively.

This disruption led to the closure or reduced capacity of numerous textile mills and factories, causing severe damage to Uganda’s economy—a blow from which the country’s textile industry has never fully recovered.

Second-hand clothes, locally known as mivumba, have been a part of Uganda’s history since the British colonial era.

Initially introduced by Christian missionaries as charitable donations for the poor, these garments were met with some disdain from the general public. However, their popularity surged in the 1970s when Uganda’s local textile and clothing industries collapsed under Idi Amin’s regime, leaving mivumba as a practical alternative.

Over time, second-hand clothing has grown to dominate Uganda’s fashion landscape, replacing the diverse textile and style options that flourished in the 1960s. Today, more than 80 percent of clothing purchases in Uganda are second-hand.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Uganda's textile industry experienced significant growth, spearheaded by the Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) and faciliated by the construction of Owen Falls hydroelectric dam – both part of a wider initiative by the British colonial government to support British industrial enterprises. Several key factories were established during this period, contributing to the development of the sector: Nyanza Textile Industries and Mulco Textiles in Jinja, Lira Spinning Mill in Lira and African Textile Mills in Mbale.

On 9th October  1962, Uganda began a new chapter of self-governance after gaining independence from British colonial rule.

Cotton still played a significant role in the country's independence-economy. As a primary export commodity, this cash crop fueled ginning and textile manufacturing activities, providing employment and foreign currency. 

Cotton’s importance to the nation was reflected in its addition to Uganda's coat of arms in 1962.

The industry looked promising, and a national Textile Board was established in the late 1960s.

By the 1930s, Uganda had become a significant producer of rainfed cotton in tropical Africa, accounting for 47% of the total production. This success came at a high cost.

Uganda was under British colonial rule from 1890 to 1962. The establishment of the Uganda Cotton Company and the promotion of cotton as a cash crop in 1903  were tied to exploitative and coercive systems that disrupted traditional livelihoods and social structures.

The colonial administration imposed taxes payable in cash, forcing Ugandans to participate in the cash economy by cultivating cotton or other cash crops. 

Cotton cultivation required significant manual labor for planting, harvesting, and ginning. Farmers often received low prices for their cotton, ensuring that the profits primarily benefited British textile industries and colonial administrators, not the local producers. Cotton production was entrenched in economic exploitation, leaving a legacy of inequality and dependence that has had lasting effects on Uganda’s agricultural and economic systems.