How it all started
CollectiveRW (CRW) is an organization that was founded in 2015 by a small group of local, established designers. Working in collaboration with industry experts, government institutions, and the private sector, we aim to promote a dynamic creative sector, which, in turn, creates jobs and empowers youth and under-served communities.
“We realized that the only way we could create a thriving fashion industry is if we pooled our resources and pooled our efforts and really focused on creating high-quality products, high-quality events to elevate the state of our industry to the next level.”
Philosophy
Since 2015, we have pushed for higher standards in Rwanda’s fashion industry. We established our own annual fashion week — Rwanda Fashion Week — because we felt that we needed to raise the bar in all areas. We wanted to create something that promoted excellence in terms of production, and experience. Our vision was not only to create a platform for established and emerging designers alike but to create a hub on the continent that attracts industry professionals and lovers of fashion and storytelling from around the world.