Lead image for Kenya is Africa's biggest importer of second-hand clothes. These students are upcycling the waste.
Inside an unassuming hall at Kenyatta University, the occasional chatter of youthful fashion designers sitting behind electric sewing machines pierces the quiet atmosphere. These budding designers sit at the cusp of a revolution in the fashion and textile industries.
Ivy Rutinu works on a garment as Hannah Munini (background) looks on at Kenyatta University on August 4, 2026. The fashion design students are part of a project which promotes environmental stewardship in fashion design.
"We prolong the lives of used garments by giving them a second life," Margaret Kaikai told Healthy Nation. The fourth-year fashion design and marketing student is part of a team that adds value to used clothes through upcycling. They convert second-hand garments into valuable products such as bags, curtains, dresses, shirts, and trenchcoats by applying the design skills they have acquired.
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A two-piece bag and African-themed dresses are among the finished products on display in a corner of the workshop. The work begins beyond the university campus: Kenyatta University acquires assorted used clothes from African Collect Textiles, a Nairobi-based company that champions upcycling. The company has set up collection points for used garments in several residential areas of the capital.
