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The second edition of East Africa (Kenya) Fashion Life Show was officially opened on Friday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, drawing over 70 exhibitors from Kenya and China.
Chinese enterprises are exhibiting textiles, packaging material, baby toys, personal care products and wigs, home decor, and gift wrappers during the expo that runs from Thursday to Saturday.
Yin Maolin, Party chief of Mudan District in Heze City, east China’s Shandong Province, led a high-level Chinese delegation to attend the expo that will highlight the potential of East Africa as a hub for the fashion, sustainable textile, and apparel sector.
According to Yin, the fashion show offers a platform for deepening economic partnership between China and Kenya, focusing on trade in high-quality manufactured products and jointly establishing seamless supply chains.
Pius Rotich, general manager for investment promotion and business development services at Kenya Investment Authority, said the government has created a conducive policy and regulatory environment to spur the growth of the textile and apparel sector.
Kenya is committed to a partnership with Chinese investors in a bid to manufacture high-quality leather products for export in the African market and beyond, boosting foreign exchange earnings and job creation, said Rotich.
Gao Wei, managing director of Afripeak Expo Kenya Ltd, co-organizer of the 2025 East African Fashion Show, said this year’s edition had grown bigger in terms of the number of visitors and exhibitors, reaffirming dynamism in the region’s textile and apparel sectors.
The fashion expo, according to Gao, will run under the theme of “Inspire Friendship, Connect World,” bringing together Chinese and Kenyan enterprises dealing with household accessories, cosmetics, and electronics under one roof.
Gao said the expo will also create a platform for Chinese business executives to network with their Kenyan counterparts, explore two-way trade in leather products.
Hundreds of Kenyan visitors thronged to the East Africa Fashion expo, with the majority acknowledging their appreciation of Chinese-made products, including wigs, cosmetics and fabrics.
Waceke Mwaura, a female entrepreneur, said that she was impressed by the wig showcased by Chinese exhibitors, adding that its high quality has made it popular among local clients.
Mwaura said she has been importing hair from China to supply to local retailers and beauty parlors, even as she scouts for distributorship arrangements with Chinese manufacturers.
Paul Munyua, a middle-aged pedicurist, said that he visited the expo to gain insight into new beauty products in the local market imported from China that are affordable to his clients
Meanhwile the fusion of Chinese and African fashion came into the spotlight on Friday when students from Moi University staged a catwalk during the second edition of the East Africa (Kenya) Fashion Life Show 2025, held in the capital, Nairobi.
Models participating in the fashion show wore elegant attire that blended Chinese and African fabrics, patterns, designs, and colors, demonstrating cross-cultural ties between the two sides.
Liz Nyakiongora, a part-time model and communications major at Moi University, said she felt honored to participate in the catwalk and demonstrate both Chinese and African fashion.
“What we wanted to bring out in this fashion show is the solidarity and prosperity in China-Kenya relations. As an African model, being able to showcase this fusion of fashion from both sides was a great moment. We took the prints from Kenya and China and came up with these final products,” Nyakiongora said.
Cavince Otieno Ochieng, an arts major at Moi University, said the event emphasized inclusivity, cross-cultural understanding and harmony through the blending of African and Chinese prints.
“As a young Kenyan, I look forward to more inclusivity in fashion and having people from different countries come together to form a common thread that unites us,” Ochieng said.
While acknowledging his appreciation of Chinese fashion, Ochieng said it embodies positive virtues of humanity, including unity, talent, beauty, and a vibrant aura.
Biutha Mosomi, dean of students at Moi University’s Nairobi Campus, said the fashion show helped spotlight the richness, authenticity, and beauty of African and Chinese fabrics.
He stressed that blending Chinese and African fashion will help strengthen bonds of friendship and understanding, in addition to opening up revenue streams for young local designers.
