Rihanna’s Nairobi’s Fenty launch and what really went or didn’t go down

Wa. Did we see the comments online about the events this weekend? I’m talking about the launch of Fenty in Africa, and the L’Oreal one that was the next day. I don’t wear makeup at all unless you count Vaseline and a mean mug against the scarier elements of Nairobi, but even I knew about what went down. Or rather, I found out because the furore found me. Social media movers and mavens pulled no stops when it came to commenting on the influencers’ and attendees’ wardrobe choices. I saw the whole gamut of descriptions, from someone looking like a makanga, to an outfit giving Napesi Yo vibes (you remember that classic gospel song by Makoma?)…to people in the right outfits for the wrong location (Milan) to someone wearing painting overalls (!) perhaps to redecorate the venue. It was brutal.

But was it a lie? There were also a lot of comments about Kenyan designers being incapable of doing anything more exciting than a dress with a slit. That part doesn’t seem untrue – in the last few years, there haven’t been a lot of designers who venture outside the box of comfortable wrap coats and gown dresses that look just as shiny as the others. Where is the innovation? The surprise? The paying attention to the theme? Or have we just become those people who don’t really care? Do we have the fashion to grace these kinds of events? I would say yes, we do, but I didn’t see too much of it that night. And truly, I too question why someone would wear jean dungarees – or as Shornarwa called them, apielnade, to a Fenty launch. Is that not disrespectful to the invitation? Jeanas???

Speaking of invitations, the agency that was behind the invites did Kenyans wrong. I love Dennis Ombachi, and I really can’t wait to see if he does a review seeing as he got the package, but he like many others did not need to be at the event and have absolutely no reason to do so – seeing as they do not or would not use the product. 

People who have nothing to do with skincare, but are there because it would appear that getting the invites was one of two things – a popularity contest, or people they picked up off the street to serve as fillers for the event. ‘Mu cuzo is having a bash, I think it’s about lotions…’ – that kind of thing. 

Meanwhile, there are so many young Kenyans today who do amazing and inventive things with make-up and beauty – off the top of my head, SixTailedFox on Twitter/Instagram does intricate colourful cosplay, design, and makes many of her outfits by hand; there’s also Tinashe Mwaniki, who is also a singer and transforms her face into otherworldly looks every post she does. If this was about the industry, about industry professionals, about people who care about this kind of thing, then they did us wrong. It would be as bad as inviting…well, me and my Vaseline only visage. Where was the next generation? Where were those who are actually invested?

Maybe the next time there is a global launch, the agencies (or, Rihanna?) need to figure out what exactly to say in the invite. They should have a dress code, like high school, or a vision board full of suggestions, attached to the envelopes. No casual wear, at all. No peplum dresses! No skintights, no jeans. No boring soporific stuff for a global brand, like dresses you would wear to the office, or what you just wore to the office to come and sit for the free food. And please – no jean jumpsuits. I mean, this sounds obvious to me, considering the profile of Fenty, but what seems obvious to some may not be to others. Did you see pictures of the Zimbabwe launch that looked like a campaign rally??