‘Refugee Roots’ is a collection inspired by the designer’s experience of being born in a refugee camp in Rd CONGO and growing up in post-war Rwanda. It reflects resilience, memory, and identity shaped by a childhood surrounded by women working the land, raising children alone, and rebuilding life after conflict.
Josue Kami Uwihanganye is a creative and ambitious fashion designer with over seven years of experience in the creative industry. A graduate of the Krakow School of Art and Fashion Design, Josue has developed a strong foundation in fashion design, combining artistic vision with technical expertise.
Known for approaching every project with maturity, responsibility, and dedication, Josue brings a thoughtful and professional mindset to the creative process. Passionate about personal growth and innovation, he believes in learning something new every day and continuously refining his skills to stay inspired and evolve as a designer.
About the ‘Refugee Roots’ Collection
My collection is called ‘Refugee Roots’ because I was born in a refugee camp in Rd CONGO. To live my dream of becoming a fashion designer I had to overcome many obstacles. After the war in Rwanda ended, our loving family was shattered, and I was separated from my brothers who were on the front line or in prison and our town was full of single mothers. My mother is a strong woman and started a small business farming bananas and sugar cane. I was surrounded by nature and farmers when growing up, most of them were women trying to make money to feed their kids, and take the responsibilities of the absent men in the households.
In Rwanda they say, “you will know the man’s fortune through his wife’s clothes” – and that is why once a week on “pay day” the streets were full of women with colorful clothes trying to show off because they wanted to keep the strong sense of family pride.
I was taught by my mother to never blame anyone for my misfortune, but to see how I could improve myself and succeed. Just as in farming, every plant grows in its own way, even if its underground. I believe that no matter what you going through, staying positive and finding the way out, is the key to make things better.
I want to connect my collection to my life’s lessons and my inspiration from the banana plantations and sugar cane fields, because they were the source of income for my family. The focus of my collection is the once a week “pay-day” when all the women were out on the streets in their beautiful clothes and taking such pride and pleasure in them.
In just a few days, during the ‘Fashion & Wine & People’ event on May 21 in Kraków, you will have the opportunity to attend and get to know the latest collection by Josue Kami Uwihanganye more closely.
Source: Josue Kami Uwihanganye
