Kenyan jeweller Theresia Kyalo speaks on having her work stolen by international fashion brands

Kenyan jeweller Theresia Kyalo has spoken out after several claims of plagiarism against her work made rounds across X, as two international companies appeared to claim legitimacy to the work she is reported to have birthed.

The jeweller spoke out after African fashion brand Tongoro came out to accuse global fashion brand Balmain of 'copying' their signature jewellery piece.

According to a news piece posted by South Africa-based publication Fashion MOEments, Tongoro's founder Sarah Diouf expressed her disappointment and frustration with the renowned fashion house which she accused of copying her signature jewellery piece.

She claimed Tongoro first introduced the fashion piece in May 2019 as part of their ‘Tongoro Tribe’ collection at a runway show in Dakar, Senegal.

Soon after the news broke, photographer and filmmaker Sherie Margaret Ngigi took to X to respond to Tongoro's claims of being the originators of the peculiar facial  jewellery.

While disagreeing with the idea that Tongoro first debuted the headpiece, she said, "Kenyan designer @TheresiaKyalo is the OG she’s too talented and I won’t keep quiet!!!!!"

From the photos shared by Sherie Ngigi, one can see that Theresia Kyalo first shared images of the jewellery piece on her Instagram page back in February 2019.

As the debate raged on, Kyalo was forced to come online and also defend her own honour, writing; "Isn’t life funny? Having your work stolen by a brand and then having the said brand have the work restolen by yet another bigger brand. Happy to have been alive long enough to see this come full circle. Kwa kweli dunia ni duara!"

The controversial piece of jewellery is an artistic metal ornament which runs from the top of the head down to the chin.

The jewellery piece, named ‘Cairo,’ draws inspiration from the traditional makeup worn by the Woodabe tribe men, paying homage to African nomadic communities.

It quickly gained popularity and became a staple of Tongoro's line after being worn by influential figures such as supermodel Naomi Campbell and singers Alicia Keys and Beyonce.

The recent unveiling of Balmain's Fall/Winter 2024 Men’s collection showcased a strikingly similar face jewellery piece, sparking the controversy over its original creators and copyright owners.

Since Tongoro unleashed their own version of the jewellery piece, it gained massive recognition and was even featured on Beyoncé's ‘Spirit’ music video, styled by Zerina Akers.

Kyalo first came to prominence with her electrifying face pieces that walk the tightrope of adornment and sculpture.

Her ‘Body Pieces’ project, made of brass, has each piece named in Swahili and evoking the body part it is either evoking or adorning.

Isn’t life funny? Having your work stolen by a brand and then having the said brand have the work restolen by yet another bigger brand. Happy to have been alive long enough to see this come full circle. Kwa kweli Dunia ni Duara 🤡 https://t.co/MGAQVtshyB— Theresia Kyalo (@TheresiaKyalo) January 22, 2024