Meet 28 -Year-Old Who Dressed Uhuru at Exclusive Event

President Uhuru Kenyatta during the European Tour on Muthaiga Golf Club on Sunday March 6, 2022
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta during the European Tour on Muthaiga Golf Club on Sunday, March 6, 2022
PSCU

A young designer is elated after getting a rare opportunity to dress President Uhuru Kenyatta during an exclusive event hosted at Muthaiga Golf Club.

Sam Omindo, the 28-year-old founder of Genteel Fashion and Grooming, a fashion company that majors in bespoke tailoring and ready-to-wear men and women attires, was commissioned to dress President Uhuru during the European Tour of the Magical Kenya Open at the Muthaiga Golf Club.

Omindo, a holder of Bachelors of Business Information Technology degree from Strathmore University, also got the opportunity to dress other top individuals as well as 12-members of the Muthaiga Golf club which is led by Chairman Ronald Meru and Christine Ochola.

President Uhuru Kenyatta during the European Tour on Muthaiga Golf Club on Sunday March 6, 2022
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta during the European Tour on Muthaiga Golf Club on Sunday, March 6, 2022
PSCU

"This was a first tour they were doing in a three-year period and they wanted it to be something remarkable. This is also the last term of the President who has been supporting the European Magical Kenya open year in year out," Omindo stated.

He however disclosed that the costs were subsidised since it was a long term deal.

"The cost of the blazer to be very sincere was subsided because it is something that they want to continually sell. It was lower than our standard costing for a blazer because a blazer for us would set you back around Sh20,000," Omindo remarked.

Uhuru attended the event on Sunday, March 6 accompanied by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga among other top government officials. 

The event was historic as European Tour made its debut in Kenya for the golf competition that attracted competitors from all over the globe.

However, Omindo's journey to dressing the head of state was not flowery. He started by buying second hand clothes from the famous Gikomba market.

"I would go to Gikomba, get them (the clothes), clean them and then resell them. So, over time I established my small clientele," he stated.

However, before launching Genteel Fashion and Grooming in 2018 with the help of his partner Kipkemei Baliach, he did a lot of research and even travelled to various parts of the country to find his market niche.

Omindo who graduated in 2016, noted that his fashion brands makescustomised bespoke suits and even other clothes attracting a lot of clients.

"For the bespoke, it is customised. Here if somebody wants a suit, a customised shirt, there are some people whose body types just cannot fit into a ready-to-wear product (they need to get fitted).On this particular range our flagship product is the suits. And we have three classes of suits," Omindo stated.

The suits cost between Ksh25,000 -Ksh35,000, the mid range ones go for Ksh100,000 while those high range suits with materials sourced outside the country cost as much as Ksh500,000.

Omindo who graduated in 2016 noted that his business received a boost after the British Council gave his business a grant. 

At their store in Gigiri, the company has employed over 15 people directly and indirectly who are locally making all the customised attires.

Genteel Fashion & Grooming co-founders Sam Omindo (left) and Kipkemei Baliach at their Lifestyle Store in Gigiri, Nairobi.
Genteel Fashion & Grooming co-founders Sam Omindo (left) and Kipkemei Baliach at their Lifestyle Store in Gigiri, Nairobi.
NMG