Like many others in the creative industry, stylist and costume designer Wambui Thimba found herself facing a future filled with uncertainty once the COVID19 directives were first announced by the Kenyan government — 21 days of partial lockdown with a curfew and ban on events and gatherings among other restrictions.
While talking to friends, designer Patricia Mbela and stylist Brian Babu, an idea came to her. Why not celebrate the creativity of all the local designers she has ever worked with for 21 days? Designers who are also facing a dip in earnings as many clients reduce their spending.
And so, the #WambuiThimbaStylingDiary was born — a visual project where she teams up with photographer Barbara Minishi and her sister, makeup artist Wacuka Thimba to create some amazing looks.
Talking to Wambui, it’s clear that it took more than few nudges to finally push her onto the path she is on. From the outside, she makes it look easy, but like all journeys, it’s been a bumpy ride.
Wide leg slit pants in natural indigo-dyed Adire cotton by @Kikoromeo
Red vest from @vivo_woman
Accessories from @kipatounbranded
Photography & set design: @barbaraminishi
Makeup: @wacukathimbaartistry
Hair: @locks_trend
For one thing, she doesn’t really remember how or when she fell in love with fashion. Growing up she was a tomboy who raided her brother’s wardrobe for baggy jeans and shirts. The only time she remembers actually taking time to put together a look was as a pre-teen attending Consolata Day in primary school.
“I made an attempt to look cute because…boys! I had on these neon geometric shorts with neon suspenders. It was the first outfit I actually remember “styling”, so maybe it began there. I need to ask my siblings this question,” she says, laughing at the memory.
After high school, and yes, still a tomboy, Wambui left the country to study in Australia, or ‘flew out’ as Kenyans like to say, where she found herself studying a bit more than just books.
“I started noticing clothes, especially of those worn by the Asian students. I loved their quirky but stylish dressing.”
She also found herself drawn to the wide array of clothing stores and would happily spend afternoons browsing the latest looks, fabrics and styles. “I could spend hours in a store just doing laps, I was on a student budget so would only buy things if they were on sale or if I loved it enough, put it on lay-away,” she recalls. At the time she was living with her sister and cousin and soon enough, there was another small nudge.
“We would divide the household finances and somehow they decided I should be the one in charge of buying clothes because… I guess, they just did not have the time,” she recalls.
Upon her return to Kenya, Wambui hit the tarmac and found a job at the Australian High Commission. Even then, she found herself selling clothes to colleagues because she had a knack for finding just the right look for a particular person. It was not long before it became a fully-fledged side hustle or perhaps, another nudge.
“My sister lived near Toi Market and sometimes I would pick things on the way home, if I saw something that suited someone I would buy it and just give it to them. After a while people started coming to my home to buy stuff even though I had not advertised.”
Eventually, Wambui and her cousin decided it was time to make the business more legit. They got a shop in town and began to source for second hand or new clothes, even hopping on a bus and heading to Uganda.
Deco baskets: @kikish_kikapus
Photography & set design: @barbaraminishi
Makeup: @wacukathimbaartistr
“We would take an Akamba bus and I remember how cold it would get. One time the bus broke down in the middle of nowhere and I had not thought to carry any warm clothing, I froze! It was sooo cold! Another time we made the mistake of sitting in the middle at the back seat and felt ALL the potholes from Nairobi to Kampala”
The misadventures would not end there, accommodation was another thing they had to think of. You had to be pretty sure about where you would be staying as not everything was as advertised. Take the night they found out that the hotel rooms they had booked were right on top of a loud and boisterous night club. Or the breakfast advertised as “Continental Breakfast” that fell short in so many ways it really had no business being called breakfast on any continent.
Eventually, they decided to close the business as it was proving to hectic to balance with everything else they had going on. Then she got a call (or another nudge) from a former classmate asking her if she could come and style QZ, a new bi-monthly magazine she was launching.
A little while later, she got word from a friend who she had worked with at QZ, that Tusker Project Fame, was looking for stylists.
“I applied and got the job”.
“They were paying Sh25,000 a day and I remember using my own clothes for the first shoot, I enjoyed it but even then it was not a decision to make it into a career, I did the styling for four editions before it shut down”.
From TPF she was again referred to East Africa Magazines who was running True Love, Adam and Drum magazines and began styling for the publications. Something clicked at this point and she began to refer to herself as a stylist. She then found her way to Standard Media styling EveGal magazine and other pull outs. Eventually eventually Coke studio came calling and she was soon styling and costume designing for some of the continents biggest African acts, from Mafikizolo, to Yemi Alade, Nyashinski to Patoranking. Her reputation as a credible and talented stylist landed her a gig with East Africa got Talent where she got to travel to Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. Her favourite celebs to style are Yemi Alade, who she still does costume design for to this day and Vanessa Mdee. “They challenge me and push me to be creative” she says.
“I have gotten to work with really amazing people, I have done Coke Studio for three years and working on the Rafiki film was amazing,”.
Obi belt: @mambopamboworld
Accessories: @kipatounbranded
I’ve worn the boilersuit in 3 diffferent ways, how would you style it?
Photography & set design: @barbaraminishi
Makeup: @wacukathimbaartistry
The Kenyan film Rafiki which was initially banned due to its LGBTQ theme, went on have a sold out viewing in Nairobi and, won Wambui the Best Costume Design award at the Kenyan Women in Film Awards.
“Rafiki was probably my most challenging job because everyone and a colour palette and I had to learn on the job. I would sit down with the director and break down every scene, it was on another level and then to see it all come together was just amazing”
Today, Wambui dresses to please herself and her styling diary was been well received by designers and their fans.
“I was born to do this, I was born to style, if I get to help designers sell clothes while at it, even better. I am not doing this for money” she says adding that is is a really fun project that has helped her cope with the uncertainty of the pandemic.
Tips for future stylists
- Start small, start by selling yourself and what you do best
- Are you able to account for every shilling you use for wardrobe when working with a client? Being trustworthy and credible is what has helped me build my name in the industry
- Is it something you really want to do or are you just following trends because when it comes to styling, you either have it or you don’t.
You can follow more of #WambuiThimbasStylingDiary on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/wambuithimba/?hl=en
Words by Naliaka Wafula
