Ellen Song'e

Influenced by my experience in the diaspora, my capstone aims to explore fashion within two distinct environments. Drawing inspiration from Vogue’s designer swap series, which highlights cultural collaborations, my exploration takes the form of a short documentary that features two designers working with fabric from each other’s countries. Longing to find relations between my home country, Kenya, and my country of residence, Canada, I wanted to showcase how similar we can be. With the exclusive fashion world we live in, it is easy to forget how beautiful it can be to simply share with one another. I consider my capstone to be an exploration of myself through the perspectives of others. Speaking to these designers helped me understand that culture is an intrinsic part of one’s identity. My hopes for the fashion world are to make real efforts towards cultural inclusivity. African fashion has been gaining traction in the Western world, but there is so much unseen talent. The only way I see forward is to create conversations and shed light on creativity that transcends our comfort zones. I hope for viewers to engage with an open heart, learn from others and make connections to themselves.