Fashion in Uganda is stepping out of the wardrobe and into the boardroom.
The Uganda International Fashion Week (UIFW) 2026 returns this Sunday, August 30, with a three-day Fashion and Business Expo at the UMA Multipurpose Hall in Lugogo, bringing together designers, creatives, entrepreneurs, buyers and industry players under one roof.
This year’s theme, “Fashion for Impact,” is putting the spotlight on a side of fashion that often gets overlooked the business behind the beauty.
From apparel and jewellery to footwear, art and crafts, the Expo is designed to turn Kampala into a marketplace of ideas, products and opportunities. Running from August 30 to September 1, the event will create a space where young creatives can showcase their work, meet potential buyers and connect with established players from Uganda and beyond.
At the heart of the Expo is CREATE, a programme designed to help young creatives move beyond talent and build sustainable, bankable businesses.
The organisers aim to create a physical marketplace and networking platform for more than 10,000 young creatives, while opening pathways into employment, entrepreneurship and skills development across the fashion value chain.
And it will not be an exclusively Ugandan affair, creative brands and industry professionals from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe and India are expected to participate, bringing international experience closer to Uganda’s emerging fashion entrepreneurs. For young designers and creatives, that means access to mentorship, knowledge-sharing and potentially valuable business connections without having to leave Kampala.
The Expo will also lean heavily into Uganda’s cultural identity, with fashion sharing the spotlight with local fabrics, food, art, crafts and other forms of creative expression.
For UIFW founder and Arapapa boss Santa Anzo, the bigger picture is about turning creativity into economic opportunity.
“Fashion is one of the world’s fastest-growing economic sectors. Uganda is flooded with too many talented and innovation-minded people. We aim to turn these talents into skills, jobs and bankable businesses,” Anzo said.
The Expo will be open to the public from 10am to 6pm daily, with free entry.
Also the wider UIFW programme will build towards the Grand Finale Gala on September 5th at Kampala Serena Hotel, where leading Ugandan and international designers will take over the runway.