Kahindo

“Wear what you believe in.
Dress boldly. Dress proudly. Dress with purpose.”

We believe that when a woman embraces her own power, she lifts up other women in the process.

Ethically sourced and produced in Africa using fair trade practices, KAHINDO garments are wearable works of art with social impact. Our collections are iterated in universally-flattering shapes, bold prints and vibrant colors that reflect each woman’s innate power, creativity, and ability to make choices based on what she believes in. Our collection is an ode to the vision and work of African women, and a source of empowerment for women around the globe.

We believe that making conscious, responsible decisions today will create a better future for everyone. 

In fashion, sustainability is about much more than fabrics and material sourcing—it also extends to the people who create products and the fairness of the practices that surround their work. As part of our commitment to ethics and sustainability, we exclusively use ethically-sourced materials and are devoted to fair-trade production practices. In addition, we are actively working to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which include gender equality, climate action, access to quality education, and elimination of poverty.

We believe in celebrating and giving back to the communities that raised us. 

Honoring one’s heritage is an important part of our brand DNA. Founder and designer Kahindo Mateene—a beloved contestant on season 12 of Lifetime’s Project Runway—was born in Uganda, educated in Kenya, and has lived in Ethiopia, Niger, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 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, our founder’s hometown, to manufacture each collection. We also collaborate with a number of exceptional African textile artists to build a more authentic and inclusive narrative of our global fashion community. Learn more.

A graduate of the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago and longtime New Yorker, KAHINDO founder and designer Kahindo Mateene fell in love with fashion at a young age, using her mother’s sewing machine to create her early designs in Africa. As an adult, Mateene was selected to take part in Macy’s esteemed fashion incubator program, and was a contestant on season 12 of Lifetime’s popular television program, Project Runway. The KAHINDO brand was founded in 2009 and immediately praised by retailers and press for its colorful aesthetic and bold, feminine silhouettes. Kahindo continues to weave her African heritage into her collections and is passionate about empowering women of all ages, sizes, and backgrounds, both in her native country and around the world.