Fashion as Identity -Young Kenyans are Making Style a Statement.

Fashion has ceased to be about appearance in the urban areas of Kenya. It is now a language, the language of identity, confidence, culture and belonging.

Take a stroll around campuses, busy town centres, or even your social media feeds and a generation that dresses with a purpose will be observed. Sweaty thrifted jackets combined with sneakers, loud Ankara blends with urban streetwear, well-plaited hair cut into intricate designs--a story behind every clothing.

Fashion is a means of self-expression to many youths and more so students in a rapidly changing world. It indicates personality, mood and even opposition to expectations.

A student in Nakuru says that I will dress how I feel. Sometimes it is easy, sometimes it is noisy. It will be determined by my energy.

The fashion scene has also undergone a change with Thrift culture, also referred to as mitumba. What used to be related to affordability alone has now turned into a creative business. Youths are rummaging through secondhand markets in search of one-of-a-kind items that will enable them to be distinctive and not just be average.

Stylists and designers believe such a change is redefining Kenyan fashion. Rather than following world trends, young people are reconfiguring them- mixing local materials such as Ankara and kitenge with Western designs to come up with something Kenyan.

This trend has been enhanced by social media platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok. The daily dressing has become a digital storytelling through outfit-of-the-day posts, styling challenges and fashion influencers.

But fashion is not just about aesthetics. It is confident as well. To most of the youths who are grappling with the lack of jobs, school work and societal demands, clothing provides a means of regaining control of their image.

Cultural theorists believe that fashion can be considered one of the most available art forms, since unlike other creative industries it does not need any kind of formal entry; one has to use his imagination.

This is because in Kenya nowadays fashion is not limited to runways. It is in the streets, lecture halls, matatus, and on the internet. It is dynamic, living and very personal.

And in all the outfits, so carefully selected, there is a message that is being told: I am here. I am seen. And I am defining myself.