Grace Achieng is turning her childhood dream into a reality one step at a time, having her designs now worn by international personalities and featured by Vogue Magazine, a US publication with global syndication.
Achieng, who is the founder of a sustainable design firm, Gracelandic, based in Iceland, moved to the European country from Kenya in 2010 to pursue a career in the fashion world.
However, after failing to secure a fashion job, she bought a sewing machine in 2020 to establish her own business with the hopes of designing clothes for other women.
The designer was later selected to join the U.S. Government’s Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), two years after starting her business, a programme that catapulted her to success.
"I just blindly walked into my dream when I started my business. AWE helped me understand my business much better,” Achieng narrated while speaking to the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Recounting her journey, Achieng stated that she fell in love with fashion at the age of six, when her aunt bought her a long-sleeved sun-yellow dress.
“On the breast of the dress was a silver star and underneath it stood the words 'five star'. It made me feel seen, powerful, and happy at a time when I did not feel visible.
''Each time I wore it, I became the dress. It’s that feeling that I intend to serve to the Gracelandic customers.’ Achieng explained.
Her designs have since been featured in the UK's Vogue Magazine and have even been worn by Iceland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir in September 2022 while meeting with President Biden at the U.N. General Assembly.
The designs, which cost up to Ksh94,294 per piece, are made in partnership with ethical producers who supply all of Gracelandic’s fabric.
She added that her passion for fashion was also fueled by her first-hand experience in Kenya where she stated was affected by the fast-fashion industry.
“The products and materials we dispose of in the West are sent to Africa. This kills independent businesses, and ninety percent of these clothes end up in African landfills.
“When fashion is done right, it can be transformative for the people wearing the clothes and the environment,” Achieng noted.
