TALKING TO: Namnyak Odupoy

Namnyak Odupoy is one of Kenya’s top models, a stylist, an emerging designer and the fashion editor of Couture Magazine.

As a boho chic, style loving laid back almost hippie, she lives and breathes all things fashion. I sat down with this gentle soul to find out a little more about her life, the line we are eagerly anticipating and her thoughts about fashion in Kenya.

Buzz: Have you always had a love/ passion for fashion?

Odupoy: My grandmother was a tailor back in her younger days, I would always sneak into her sewing room and try to use her manual machine and end up breaking something but that never stopped me.

How long have you been modelling and how did you get into it?

I’ve been modelling for eight years now, started with commercial modelling and after a while during a commercial shoot I got discovered by designer Betty Vanetti who introduced me to fashion modelling.

What advice would you give to young models?

Be humble, be respectful, be eager to learn, go that extra mile, love what you do and work hard.

What’s your dream runway to be on and why?

To be honest I am trying to phase out modelling, I want to concentrate on designing and styling. Give new models a chance to take over.

You recently graduated from Mcensal School of fashion, was being a designer the ultimate goal or was it a transition from the modelling?

Yes! Designing has always been my ultimate goal.

Have you started your line yet? And what can we expect from it?

I haven’t started a line yet, taking a step at a time. I’m looking to learn as much as I possibly can before launching a label. Learn from already established labels and hopefully do a degree in a couple of years, then I can launch my label. I create conceptualised and very experimental pieces.

What local designers inspire you, how and why?

Katungulu Mwendwa, Adele Dejak, Mille Collines ….Their work is simply amazing, they are changing how people perceive African fashion.

Style is…

Personality!

What’s your style?

I like to think my style evolves as I grow, still experimenting on different things but overall my love for bohemian and grunge still lingers.

What are your style no no’s?

Shinny things, can’t stand them

Whose sense of style do you look up to locally and internationally?

Locally – Annabel Onyango

Internationally – Erykah Badu

Fashion in Nairobi is a rapidly growing industry, what are some challenges you experience that hinder its growth and you would like to see changed? How can we change them?

We need to work together for steady growth of the industry, we need to put aside our differences and work towards building the industry.

What’s your biggest career moment?

I’m yet to get there!

Have a great week beautiful people.

@MissAngelsmile