Man who designs costumes for TV commercials

What you need to know:

  • Owner of Malkia Mfalme, Nzioka is a fashion designer who specialises in commercial shoots and uniforms
  • Michael Nzioka is a graduate of Bifa, a fine art school in Buru Buru, Nairobi.
  • A restless soul, he combined studies with work, but proved critics wrong on graduation day.
  • Earned a distinction at Bifa, giving him the much-needed energy to soar.
  • Worked at Kikoromeo for five years, rising to assistant head of design.

Sitting down with Michael Nzioka and listening to him keenly, you start imagining you were a head teacher about to write his school leaving certificate. “A keen and restless student with big dreams?” you ask yourself.

However, this was an interview and Mr Nzioka, a fashion designer, was answering questions about his skills, training, experience and goals about fashion and fashion industry.

While growing up, he was glued to his mother, a tailor, who first wowed him to think about a professional life and business of fashion design. “It fascinated me to see her turn a piece of fabric into a beautiful clothing,” he said.

Soon after secondary school, he would see the clearer picture of his future life as fashion notable when he saw his brother’s graphics on T-shirts that he sold. He bought his first machine at Sh20,000 from the proceeds.

Today, he is consulted by some big names for skills in one of the world’s fast-paced industries known for nit-picking, endless retakes, and high pressure.

He is a wardrobe manager in many projects during the shooting of commercials.

This is demanding in detail and requires rising early and remaining at for close to 24 hours. Not once, but sometimes up to three days in a week, says the graduate of Buru Buru Institute of Fine Art (Bifa).

During his third year studies at Bifa, where he was studying fashion design, he jumped into the deep end of the pool, combining studies with work. By this time, he had competed his attachment at Kikoromeo, a fashion house in Nairobi.

Lecturers warned him that he would lose focus on his studies but his distinction grade at the end of his course proved the naysayers wrong.

His list of clients shows he got it right as a student and trainee. He designed and made 500 costumes for the ‘Niko na Safaricom’ advert by Safaricom, the largest telco in Kenya.

As a wardrobe consultant, he has also worked for companies like Air Uganda, Dettol, Cadburys, Nairobi Securities Exchange, Nivea and National Bank during commercials shoots. The biggest contract he has been hired to work on is the current World Cup campaign by Coca-Cola.

He rose to the level of an assistant head designer at Kikoromeo and worked at the company for five years and only left in 2010 after having firm grips on the trade and ready to launch his own outfit: Malkia Mfalme Company.

His profile grew in 2010 when he took part in the Origin of African Competition where emerged tops in the Upcoming Designer category. It gave him the confidence to explore the fashion industry.

However, today, Mr Nzioka has added company uniforms to his stable after realising that he needed more than fashion business to remain afloat in business. Companies that have contracted him for uniforms include Kakoneni hotels, Limo Sacco and Meridian Medical.

Working in the film industry (shooting commercials) is a tough task that occasionally requires him to wake up as early as 3am and sometimes goes beyond midnight. This happens at least three days every week.

During the shoots, known for precision and detail, as a wardrobe consultant he ensures that models are presentable. He also ensures that accessories match the attire and that every detail meets the director’s approval.

He travels to many locations locally and abroad for commercial shoots. Mr Nzioka has a bigger dream: starting a production house by the year 2018.