Buziga Hill

Buziga Hill

Buziga Hill

Buziga Hill (BUZIGAHILL) is a Kampala-based fashion label and activist collective founded by designer Bobby Kolade, known for its powerful upcycling project titled “RETURN TO SENDER.” The name “BUZIGAHILL” references Buziga Hill, a real neighborhood in Kampala, Uganda, known for its elevated views and affluence — a symbolic contrast to the often-overlooked lives entangled in the global second-hand clothing trade.



Key Aspects of BUZIGAHILL:


? RETURN TO SENDER Initiative




  • BUZIGAHILL intercepts second-hand clothes from the Global North (Europe, USA, Asia) that are dumped in Uganda.




  • These clothes are redesigned, upcycled, and sent back to their regions of origin — often as high fashion or art.




  • It’s a critique of the global textile waste system and a call to decolonize the fashion supply chain.




? Philosophy and Impact




  • The label blends art, fashion, activism, and policy commentary.




  • It questions who profits from fashion and waste, and repositions Uganda from the receiving end of the second-hand trade to a producer of value-added goods.




  • BUZIGAHILL emphasizes local labor, material transformation, and reclaiming of textile agency.




? Founder: Bobby Kolade




  • Sudan-born, raised between Kampala and Lagos.




  • Of Nigerian-German descent, trained in Berlin, with experience at Maison Margiela and Balenciaga.




  • Known for his critical approach to fashion, sustainability, and post-colonial discourse.




? Production and Materials




  • Garments are hand-made by a team of young Ugandans, mostly using:





    • Second-hand clothes from Owino Market.




    • Locally sourced cotton (though infrastructure limits widespread local production).






  • Signature methods include dismantling and reassembling clothing (e.g., visible seams, inside-out denim).




?️ Global Recognition




  • Exhibitions and collaborations in Amsterdam, Milan, Dubai, London, Accra, and Sharjah.




  • First Ugandan brand to show at Pitti Uomo (Italy).




  • Participated in What Design Can Do Festival, Berlin Fashion Summit, and more.




? Historical Context:




  • Uganda’s textile industry collapsed in the 1970s, opening the floodgates to second-hand imports.




  • 80% of clothing in Uganda today is second-hand.




  • Local production has been largely replaced by cheap imports or reliance on used goods.




  • The EAC’s 2016 second-hand ban attempt was blocked due to U.S. trade threats under AGOA.






BUZIGAHILL turns this geopolitical injustice into creative resistance, asserting that fashion can be a medium for economic justice, cultural reclamation, and global dialogue.



? BUZIGAHILL (Fashion Brand)


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