In the bustling, ever evolving fashion heartbeat of Kampala, one name is rising above hem lines, runway lights, and glittering sequins Emilly Nakazibwe, the bold mind behind the stylish label NAKA TAILOR.
With a creative hand sharpened by formal training in Fashion and Interior Design, Nakazibwe is living proof that talent paired with vision can lift a designer from the shadows of backroom fabric stores to the very edge of African style cutting rooms.
She didn’t stumble into fashion she walked into it with intention.
Launching her design journey in 2017, Nakazibwe has spent almost a decade defining a design identity that is both contemporary and deeply rooted in East African heritage. Her signature? Kikoi-inspired pieces that flip the script on traditional wear merging cultural fabric with modern silhouettes, structured tailoring, and bold personality.
Kikoi Revolution: Tradition with an Urban Twist
What sets Nakazibwe apart from fellow creatives is not just a command of cut, fabric, and fit it’s her ability to transform a cultural staple into a full fashion language.
The Kikoi in her hands becomes:
• A fiercely modern evening gown
• A sharp suit worthy of a magazine cover
• A pageant-ready creation dripping with identity
• A statement jacket that turns strangers into admirers
Her clothes celebrate heritage without romanticizing it instead, they modernize it, making culture feel as fresh as tomorrow.
From Kampala to the World
A visionary’s reach rarely stops at borders.
Nakazibwe’s work began making international strides early, landing beyond the runway lights of Uganda into the spotlight of the Ugandan diaspora fashion scene.
She has lent her genius to:
• MISS UGANDA UK Edition
• MISS UGANDA USA Projects
These global showcases introduced her label to fashion audiences craving pieces that proudly say: I am African and I am couture.
The response was unmistakable.
Her designs didn’t just complement contestants they commanded attention, echoing a fresh, unmistakable Ugandan aesthetic on international stages.
Fashion Meets Sound: Dressing Kenneth Mugabi
Locally, Nakazibwe’s portfolio reads like a who’s who of Uganda’s creative elite.
In 2025, she dressed musical storyteller Kenneth Mugabi for his landmark Serena Hotel performance a night remembered not only for musical brilliance, but for the sophistication and soul stitched into Mugabi’s wardrobe.
The outfits were as lyrical as his music: fabric that looked like it might hum at any moment.
A designer and a musician — both celebrating Uganda in completely different languages, yet telling the same story of identity and artistry.
The Designer of Tomorrow , Today
For many creatives, it takes decades to define a signature. Nakazibwe has done so in less than ten years.
Her brand, NAKA TAILOR, is now synonymous with:
• Elevated cultural fashion
• Clean construction and daring detail
• Fabric storytelling
• High-profile styling for movers, shakers, and global dreamers
And fashion editors, stylists, and event producers are taking notice.
With the world’s gaze shifting toward African fashion ecosystems, Nakazibwe stands poised to become one of the most sought-after designers of 2026 and beyond.
Her vision is not reactive its future-led, combining sustainability, cultural textile preservation, and global relevance.
In an era where authenticity is luxury, Nakazibwe’s work is pure couture currency.
A New Era of Ugandan Style
Emilly Nakazibwe represents more than a label.
She embodies a creative generation rewriting Africa’s aesthetic reputation moving from imitation to innovation, from following trends to defining them.
Her rise is a reminder that fashion in Uganda is not merely alive it’s accelerating, and women like her are stepping on the gas.
You’ll see her pieces on red carpets, at music premieres, on beauty queens, on runways from Kampala to London and, increasingly, in wardrobes of people who recognize that fashion can be bold, local, modern, and futuristic all at once.
NAKA TAILOR is not just sewing clothes.
She is stitching identity into fabric, confidence into seams, and Uganda into global style history.
The Final Thread
If the last decade has been about proving herself, then the next chapter belongs wholly to NAKA TAILOR.
One Kikoi-inspired masterpiece at a time, Emilly Nakazibwe is shaping a future in which Ugandan fashion stands proudly on the world stage.
And the fashion world in Uganda and far beyond is watching closely.
