Model in a draped sisal sack dress on the runway at an international show

Achievements

A decade of international recognition

The journey

From Kampala to the world stage

Since 2013, Bobbin Case has built an international reputation through relentless creative ambition, sustainable practice and a fearless vision of African fashion that refuses to be categorised.

  1. 2013

    Bobbin Case founded, Nairobi

    Mukasa Najib establishes Bobbin Case, a bold experiment in sustainable avant-garde fashion built entirely on sisal sacks and recycled materials. The brand is founded on a radical premise: Africa's discarded materials deserve a place on the world's finest runways.

  2. 2015

    Swahili Fashion Week, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    Bobbin Case makes its international runway debut at Swahili Fashion Week, presenting its signature sisal sack collection to one of East Africa's most prestigious fashion platforms.

  3. 2015

    South Africa Men's Wear, Johannesburg

    Bobbin Case presents at South Africa Men's Wear, bringing its distinctive sisal menswear to Southern Africa and drawing significant regional and international press attention.

  4. 2016

    Accra Fashion Week, Ghana: standing ovation

    At Accra Fashion Week 2016, Bobbin Case receives a standing ovation, a rare distinction for a brand of any age. International press described the collection as having “murdered the runway.”

  5. 2016

    South Africa Men's Wear, return showing

    Bobbin Case returns to South Africa Men's Wear for a second consecutive year, deepening its relationship with Southern Africa's fashion community and expanding its menswear offering.

  6. 2017

    Kenya Fashion Award, Nairobi

    Bobbin Case wins the Kenya Fashion Award, formal recognition of the brand's creative originality and its rapidly growing influence across the East African fashion industry.

  7. 2017

    East African Fashion Designer of the Year

    Mukasa Najib is recognised as East African Fashion Designer of the Year, one of the region's highest distinctions in fashion, reflecting his influence across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and beyond.

  8. 2018–2020

    Boda Boda Madness, with Jan Hoek

    With Dutch photographer Jan Hoek, Mukasa Najib designed custom outfits for seven Nairobi boda boda motorbike-taxi drivers, each suit built to match the driver's fantastically themed motorbike. The project was exhibited at the Melkweg Gallery Amsterdam (2018), N'gola Festival São Tomé (2019), Getxo Photo Festival Spain (2019), Festival Circulations Paris (2020), Now Look Here Amsterdam (2020) and Photoville New York (2020).

    Boda boda drivers in custom Bobbin Case outfits with their motorbikes at night, Nairobi
    Boda Boda Madness, Nairobi. Photo: Jan Hoek & Bobbin Case
    The Ghost Driver: a boda boda driver in a silver costume on a motorbike at night
    The Ghost Driver. Photo: Jan Hoek & Bobbin Case
  9. 2022

    Clothed with Protection, National Theatre Uganda & United Kingdom

    Bobbin Case collaborates with British artist Luke Jerram on Clothed with Protection, exhibited at the National Theatre in Uganda and at venues in the United Kingdom.

  10. 2022

    Kwetu Kwanza, Uganda

    Bobbin Case participates in Kwetu Kwanza, a platform dedicated to promoting sustainable fashion and community-led creative practice in Uganda.

  11. 2023

    Omutego, Shebang Fashion Show, Uganda

    Bobbin Case presents Omutego at the Shebang Fashion Show, a collection engaging directly with mental health and wellness.

  12. 2023

    Kwetu Kwanza, Uganda (return)

    Bobbin Case returns to Kwetu Kwanza for a second year, deepening its advocacy for sustainable fashion and its investment in Uganda's creative community.

  13. 2023

    Menstrual Hygiene Awareness Runway, Uganda

    Bobbin Case participates in the Menstrual Hygiene Awareness runway show, affirming its commitment to fashion as a vehicle for social education and community impact at home.

  14. 2026

    Kigali Fashion Week, Rwanda: The Remnant

    Bobbin Case presents The Remnant at Kigali Fashion Week 2026: raw gunia, open seams and the philosophy of destroyed fabric, carried from Kampala to Kigali.

    Mukasa Najib with collaborators on the Kigali Fashion Week 2026 red carpet
    The Bobbin Case team, Kigali 2026
    Back view of a gunia sack dress on the Kigali Fashion Week 2026 runway
    The Remnant on the runway

    See the full Kigali collection

Runway presence

International shows & fashion weeks

Bobbin Case has shown on runways across Africa, each appearance building a body of work that is both locally rooted and internationally legible.

  • Swahili Fashion WeekDar es Salaam, Tanzania. East Africa's leading fashion platform.
  • Accra Fashion WeekAccra, Ghana. A standing ovation in 2016.
  • East Africa Fashion WeekNairobi, Kenya. Recognised Najib as East African Fashion Designer of the Year.
  • Kenya Fashion AwardsNairobi, Kenya. Winner, 2017.
  • South Africa Men's WearJohannesburg, South Africa. Two consecutive years.
  • Kampala Fashion WeekKampala, Uganda. Representing Uganda on home ground.
  • Kigali Fashion WeekKigali, Rwanda. The Remnant, 2026.

In the press

International coverage

“Ugandan-Kenyan fashion designer Bobbin Case, capturing Nairobi's motortaxi drivers in brand-new outfits that matched their motors.”
Designboom
“Bobbin Case murdered the runway of Accra Fashion Week: a standing ovation, rare for a brand of any age.”
SatisFashion UG
“Jan Hoek and Bobbin Case turned boda boda drivers into striking fantastical characters, a collaboration that captures creativity at its most joyful.”
Bored Panda
“Boda Boda Madness, exhibited at one of Europe's leading contemporary photography festivals, 2020.”
Festival Circulations, Paris
“Bobbin Case Clothing among the designers showcasing at the menstrual hygiene awareness runway: fashion in service of education.”
Daily Monitor, Uganda
“Mukasa Najib (Bobbincase / The Fabric Murderer), Ugandan fashion designer and visual artist using fashion as social critique, memory, and community.”
X / Twitter

What's next

Be part of the next chapter

Bobbin Case is actively building its next international collection and creative partnerships. We welcome conversations with those who share our vision.