A SUSTAINABLE LUXURY FASHION LABEL

Msichana is on a mission to ignite the world through design by creating high impact fashion for the global soul. 

Msichana: the art and soul of a woman

 

Every woman is a masterpiece.

From the inside, her heart, her soul, and from the outside her expression, her voice.

Bold strokes. Confidence. Fluidity.

 

Reflecting who she is and her unique perspective.

 

She doesn’t own a closet.

She owns a gallery.

A collection of dramatic, vibrant and colourful statements.

To elevate her spirit.

To shatter the notion that we should all look the same.

 

A woman knows, from the depth and richness of her soul, that she holds the power.

The power to change the world.

 

At Msichana we help connect the dots.

We provide possibilities that unleash her personal expression and her beautiful spirit for all to see, while connecting, empowering and elevating women across the globe to create the masterworks.

 

Every woman is a masterpiece.

Msichana unleashes the art and the soul of a woman.

 

The Msichana Woman

 

The Msichana woman stands out. She is strong. She stands tall.

She is tenacious in her pursuit of betterment, both for herself and for the world.

She knows style. But more importantly, she knows where it comes from.

She knows that in order to make her mark, she needs to let her light shine through first.

 

The Msichana woman loves ferociously and is committed wholly to setting women free.

Free to be who they were always meant to be.

 

The Msichana woman is proud of her roots and intent on where she is going.

 

Courageous. Transcendent. Daring. Bold.

 

The Msichana woman is everywhere.

A global tribe. Unified.

Msichana is all of us, together.

Strengthened, connected and living life better.

Msichana is a blaze of colour in a muted world.

Msichana is a movement of emboldened women.

Ready to set the world afire.

 

Into the Fold

Msichana (ms-cha-na) means “young woman” in the Swahili, a language dating back to the 18th century and born of blended cultures including Africans, Arabs, and Europeans. It is used in different countries across Africa to this day, a sustaining example of the good that comes from collaboration.

The Idea

Fashion for Lorna has always been a way of life and a means of self-expression.

She was born in Uganda and exposed to various cultures through interaction, art, and literature.

Her mother is a fashion designer so she grew up surrounded by fashion and witnessing its impact on individuals and society.

 

As a teenager, she moved to Canada and this has been her second home since.

After a successful career in the corporate world, Lorna decided to leverage her experience and skills for the cause she is most passionate about. Hence, Msichana was born: using fashion as a medium for collective action to empower women, and to build bridges through genuine exposure to people across the globe.

 

“I believe that when we are able to love and see the beauty in ourselves, we are not only better able to appreciate it in others, but we are also free and confident to fully express and share who we are with the world- this is how we build a better world.”

Made by loving hands of female artisans.

Msichana is committed to elevating women and helping artisans thrive- within our workshops and beyond.

Meet some of the ladies behind your clothes:

Adrine is the youngest and boldest member of our team. She is ambitious, independent and loves to dress up.

Pamela is a dedicated seamstress, who is very ambitious. She is using her skills to secure a strong career and is making a name for herself.

Brenda is an an aspiring fashion designer. Expertise in tailoring will give her an edge in design. Her smile always lights up the studio.

Mbabazi is a loving mother of three children who came to Kampala to find work. Today, she can single-handedly sustain her family.

Scovia thinks clothes can change a woman's life. She started as a cleaner at our design workshop, and quickly moved to making clothes.

Brenda is a single mother, and so proud of her 4 year old daughter. She is determined to give her daughter the education she never had.

We pay our artisans a fair wage

We offer a safe and flexible workplace

We provide business training

Made for Women by Women

Our Production Process

Learn More

Wearable Art

  Connecting people across the globe and sharing culture through clothing that fuses ethnic fabrics and prints with modern /contemporary design.

We use ethnic fabrics and work with artisans to create wearable art. Each piece is handmade, a one of a kind or only a few.

Our fabrics are handwoven by the artisans we work with, or carefully hand-selected prints from female-run businesses.

  • We aim for zero-waste, and any pieces not used in clothing are used to create Accents by Msichana.

Our Fabrics

KANGA / LESO

Originated on the coast of East Africa in mid 19th century.

The story goes that some stylish ladies in Zanzibar started out buying different kinds of printed kerchiefs and sewing them together. This is why it typically has a border along all four sides (called pindo in Swahili), and a distinct pattern in the center (mji).

The new design was called "leso" after the kerchief squares that had originally been brought to Africa by Portuguese traders.

KIKOY / KIKOI

Began life as the traditional man's wraparound worn on the Swahili coast of East Africa, as a comfortable garment in the heat and high humidity.

Traditionally, this fabric is made on a simple loom, with solid color in the middle and striped along the edges.

Women use the kikoy as a skirt, and as a shawl in the evening when it gets chilly (which by Canadian standards is still T-shirt weather)

KITENGE

This East African fabric is called ‘the communicating textile’ because of the various colours, patterns, writings and symbols, which represent moods and traditions of the native people.

The Maasai in Kenya, for example, wear dark red kitenge garments to symbolize their love for and dependence on the earth.

It is often worn as sarong or as a baby sling. Today, it is also used in west & central African countries.

ANKARA

The result of a fusion of cultures.

The wax-resist dyeing technique originated in today's Indonesia and was brought back by West African men.

 

Attempts at imitating the fabric had imperfections due to resin crackling resulting in small lines and dots where the dye seeped through. These imperfections were loved even more and purposefully maintained.

West African tastes shaped the evolving designs, favoring brighter palettes and geometric shapes.

KENTE

The fabric that tells a story and passes on wisdom. From the centuries-old weaving practice among the Akan people of Ghana, the fabric derives its name from the word Kenten, meaning Basket. It was traditionally worn by royalty and the colors and patterns often have significant meaning.

Squares represent the cosmos and are the symbol of the Akan matrilineal society.

The Cross represents the essence of life.

Zigzags are a reminder that life doesn’t follow a straight path.