This month of April, it’s a huge honour to feature one of New York’s Finest Fashion Designer, Kahindo Mateene. We absolutely love her brand and we’re always rooting for her.
Kahindo Mateene is the founder and creative visionary behind her namesake brand KAHINDO. Kahindo strives to use her brand as a vehicle to create job opportunities for women and share the heart and soul of Africa with the rest of the world. Kahindo was born in Uganda, educated in Kenya, and has lived in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Niger. When she’s not designing or reviewing samples from Africa, Kahindo enjoys traveling, dancing, and attending live concerts.
Kahindo Mateene, a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago, founded her brand in 2017. She was selected to take part in Macy’s Chicago Fashion Incubator program and was one of the contestants in season 12 of Project Runway. She has showcased her collections at several international fashion shows, including Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Africa and New York Fashion Week at the Harlem Fashion Row. Her work has also been featured in publications like The New York Times, Elle, Essence, and Marie Claire.
KAHINDO is a socially responsible womenswear brand that creates wearable art with a social impact. The brand features bold colors and original prints inspired by the designer’s Congolese heritage, African upbringing and globe-trotting travels. Designed in New York City and ethically produced by female artisans in Africa, KAHINDO’s statement-making—yet timeless—silhouettes are made to empower the modern woman while having a social impact.
They believe in celebrating and giving back to the communities that raised them. “Honoring one’s heritage is an important part of our brand DNA”. Mateene’s diverse Pan-African experience inspires and influences not only her creative process, but also her approach to garment production. In partnership with GIVE WORK, KAHINDO currently employs several women in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, their founder’s hometown, to manufacture each collection. They also collaborate with a number of exceptional African textile artists to build a more authentic and inclusive narrative of our global fashion community. She is an inspiration to every human as her values are embedded in her works.
