Victoria Kageni: Kenyan Hollywood Fashion Designer whose work featured on the Oscars red carpet

As fate would have it, she paused her dream to open a retail fashion store, opting to venture into a high-end career in engineering, noting that as a single mom, she needed the money to provide for her four children.

She resolved to giving fashion design another try. It has emerged as completely rewarding, as her work debuted on the 96th Academy Awards red carpet.

Meet Victoria Kageni, a Kenyan Hollywood fashion designer, as she tells her story from her childhood days till now that her work has finally graced the biggest night in Hollywood.  

Tell us about your childhood. Did you envision that you would one day get your work featured on the Oscars red carpet?

I grew up in Mombasa County, in the Tiwi area near Diani Beach, on a farm. I started sewing when I was six years old.

I inherited sewing skills from my maternal grandmother, a seamstress back in the day. I am excited that I keep sewing because of her. 

No, I did not envision someone wearing my design on the Oscars red carpet, but I have always known that my work and creativity are something I take pride in.   

My mother was a secretary for Kenya Breweries Limited, and my father worked as a public work superintendent for the Municipal Council in Mombasa. 

I had a neighbor who used to sew, and I would spend hours at their house learning how to sew. My parents discovered this and bought me a sewing machine. 

I am fortunate to have had very progressive parents, so when they realized I was passionate about sewing, they decided to support me. 

After completing my studies at Aga Khan High School in Mombasa, some recruiters from Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta came to Nairobi to recruit potential students. My parents got wind of this and decided to send me to the United States (US) to pursue a degree in Fashion and Design. 

Their decision was met with criticism from some relatives and friends because they saw fashion design as insignificant compared to high-end careers like surgeons or lawyers. 

What happened after you landed in the US? Did you get to experience the American dream? 

Then, not really, although now I can confidently say I am. 

I graduated from college and began working in the clothing industry, specifically in manufacturing plants that produced home goods, and women’s apparel. 

I spent considerable time understanding the intricate details of running a clothing manufacturing company.

Those years were primarily steeped in what I studied for in college and raising my children before I decided to go a different direction so that I could earn a significant amount to sustain my young family and all our needs.

Why did you decide to leave the fashion industry? 

I reached a point where I became a single parent, so I needed to find a well-paying job to sustain my family. Children will have you walking on the Moon and back.

I enrolled in an apprenticeship that lasted four years. Upon completion, I became a state-certified operating engineer.

I ended up treading in my father's footsteps by pursuing work in the construction industry in 2003. 

I worked as an engineer in the International Union of Operating Engineers for 13 years, earning a considerable sum. I was very proud to work in a male-dominated career, although I faced racism and sexism. 

The peak of my career in engineering was when I was involved in the demolition of Philadelphia’s baseball stadium in 2004. I was part of the team that donated explosive tools to bring down the Veterans Stadium.

I quit the job in 2016 because I needed to be home with my kids since the job was demanding of my time. I decided to return to my passion for fashion. 

Tell us about Gusa by Victoria

I started Gusa by Victoria in 2016. The then Ambassador to the United States from Kenya did the Grand opening of my first retail store. I stayed there for two years.

I sought to celebrate cultural diversity through fashion, artwork, and jewellery. 

I wanted to create a brand that speaks to where I come from, specifically the town I grew up in. Swahili has always been part of me because I grew up among the Digo people. People are shocked when they hear me speak Swahili because I have been in the US for a very long time. 

I intended to create pieces that can touch people with my creativity, hence the Swahili word ‘Gusa’, which means to touch. 

I wanted a word that would be easy for people to pronounce in my community. 

Nowadays, people no longer call me Victoria. They refer to me as ‘Gusa’. 

How did your work end up being featured at the Oscars? Take us through that process.

Cindy Owens, the mother to Oscar Award-winning film producer Erin Owens, has been following me on social media for a while, and I had no idea. 

Her daughter's team got a nomination for the Best Documentary Feature category. 

When Cindy walked into my store, she seemed apprehensive since she had a short window of time to get an outfit for the Academy Awards. 

She told me that she was going to the Oscars. Then, my only thought was that I had to create something amazing. I kept crossing my fingers, hoping that her daughter would win. She described the kind of piece she desired, and we dove into the basics like the colours and how extravagant she wanted the jacket to be. 

All those things she shared helped me envision something that would complement what she wanted to pair the jacket with. 

She wanted to wear something unique but not too much to overshadow her daughter. 

Within two weeks, I was able to create something for her.

After her daughter won the documentary, she reached out and was so appreciative and happy that she got to wear the Brocade jacket piece I made to the red carpet. I am still pinching myself.

Has the Oscars moment affected your sales in any way?

There is a buzz in the community regarding the Oscars moment, so I have been able to leverage it by putting out the Brocade jacket in the market for people to purchase it. I have secured countless orders, especially from highly influential figures. Now that I have an Oscars moment linked to my name, my product's prices have risen. 

What are the opportunities and challenges in the fashion industry in the US as a Kenyan native?

Diversity is lacking here, which benefits my business. Clients, especially non-African, are intrigued by my African pieces. So, my clientele is mostly non-Africans. The ability to marry the African prints with the Western silhouettes always keeps me marketable and relatable. The quality and workmanship speak for themselves, which attracts more clients. 

My pieces also open up other conversations revolving around my life back in Kenya, which makes my work richer. 

Lack of funding for small businesses is a challenge, so I have to bootstrap a lot, which would be the same in Kenya, as creatives struggle to acquire resources. 

Additionally, some people are resistant to embracing different people from different cultures. The space I am in is a prime location, so when some people stop by, they tend to allude to the fact that I do not belong there. However, as a native, it takes a long time to recognize and deal with racism. But also, you cannot win everybody. I even sprayed my manikins with my skin color.

How do you promote sustainability in your practice in fashion design? 

I started doing abstract artwork by using the remnants of my 'vitenges'. 

I consider it a beautiful process of creating and ensuring that nothing goes to waste. I got that from my father. He used to pick up junk and make something beautiful out of it. I admired that.  

Are there other notable achievements apart from the Oscars moment?

The Oscars moment is definitely my best accomplishment yet. However, I have dressed some women of influence in the community, like the president of the York County Commission. 

It has also been incredible to watch people wear my pieces. 

In addition, I do dining excursions whereby we pick a country from the continent, cook their food, perform traditional dances, and converse about their culture. It becomes more than just a dinner. It is a full experience. 

I also put together a music festival called Gusa Music Festival, which I created because my oldest child is an individual on the autism spectrum, and I wanted to create something that would exercise his social skills. 

Gusa by Victoria has grown from just fashion because we celebrate cultural diversity through food, music, and dances. These events and experiences have sprouted from a single sewing machine. 

Which projects are you currently undertaking?

I am creating a course coined 'Bankable Artistry' that allows people to learn how to do what I do. Some Kenyans want to know about my journey and how they could achieve what I have been able to achieve. 

Advice to people still trying to thrive in the fashion industry 

The biggest thing is to be yourself. If you turn to social media to check out what everyone is doing, you will never start. No one can duplicate what you do, so just start and stop looking at what everyone is doing. 

Your art is as unique as your fingerprint. Many people sew clothes, but they will never be able to do it like me.

What does the future of the fashion industry in Kenya look like? 

It looks promising. I witness such creative people doing great things in fashion, like Patricia Mbela, John Kaveke, and Swiri Nyar Kano. I am so proud. However, we need to celebrate and support creatives in the fashion industry. The same goes for music. 

Take Nigerians for instance, they are so proud of everything they do, and that is what sets them apart. So if Kenyans can do the same, I think we have something, and we do have something. We just need to embrace and celebrate our people. 

Any plans to relocate to Kenya?

Yes, I have plans to come back, but to visit only. I am unsure about relocating to Kenya, but we do not know what the future holds. 

I think it would be unfair to my kids if I made them move to Kenya, especially since they have lived in the US their whole lives. My brother lives in our family home in Kwale, and my deceased parents' remains are there, so that will always be a place I call home.  

What are your aspirations?

Years from now, I would like to leave a legacy of Gusa by Victoria, not only by sharing cultural diversity through fashion but also through music and food. 

I am working on a subscription box plan where people can travel with me through pieces I curate like clothing, jewelry, and artwork. Through this, I can put Kenya in a box. I hope that one day, it propels someone to desire to visit Kenya and witness all these things I create.

Have any of your kids expressed interest in pursuing a career in fashion?

Sadly no (laughs), and it breaks my heart. They are running in the opposite direction from the sewing machine. But hopefully, that will change. Currently, they are all about thrift clothes, and I cannot get my daughters to wear a dress to save my life.