Brian Ahumuza

Brian Ahumuza
Born	(1990-11-01)November 1, 1990 Nsambya, Uganda
Nationality	Ugandan
Occupation	Founder and CEO of Abryanz Collection & Abryanz Style and Fashion Awards[1]
Awards	Young Entrepreneurial Entertainer in the CEPA awards 2016[2][3]
Labels	Abryanz Collection[4]

Brian Ahumuza (commonly known as Abryanz) is a Ciroc UG ambassador, Fashion Personality, Celebrity Stylist, and Entrepreneur. He was born in Uganda at Nsambya Hospital on 1 November 1990.

Early life

He attended Asaba Primary School in Masindi and later joined Bugema Adventist High School, Crane High School, Natete and Lake Side College for his Secondary education.

The Kyambogo University alumni later majored in Social Works and Social Administration while at the college.

Career

The Abryanz Collection Store. (2010- to date)

His rise to fame has been attributed to his sense of style and wardrobe choices, many of which set the trends for many teenagers across the country.

While at University, Ahumuza began work with one of the telecom companies in town, something he says was meant to bring in a little extra income.

However, his passion lay in fashion and all he ever wanted to do was establish himself a career in the industry.

But since he didn’t have enough capital at the time, he begun by selling clothes to colleagues at work, out of his back pack.

And after years of hard work and savings, he was able to open up his first store, The Abryanz Collection Store.^[5] The clothing retail opened its doors to the public in 2010 at Prime Complex.

Two years down the road, the franchise has grown into one of the leading shopping destination for stylish men with in Uganda, and now boosts of two stores, both up and down town Kampala.

The store has been a top shopping haven for many Kampala celebrities and ordinary Kampala folks, offering styling services to its clients as well. The store’s clientele also boost of international guests who have had the privilege to be styled by its head stylist, Brian Ahumuza.

These include Demarco from Jamaica, Wiz Kid & Dbanj from Nigeria, and Diamond Platnumz, currently the most selling artiste in Tanzania.

In 2014, the Abryanz Collection was awarded as the Best Youth Fashion Store at the Kadanke Youth Awards.^[6]

Fashion Showcases

At the Abryanz Style & Fashion Awards^[7] in 2015, the Abryanz Collection launched its first custom made collection. The majority of the pieces are now on sale in stores, being hip and urban styles, a favorite of the teen circle in Uganda. This collection was collaboration between Brian Ahumuza and a few fashion designers in Korea.

The Abryanz Collection has also showcased at many of the past Buzz Teeniez Awards events, and Kadanke Youth Awards.^[8] Off the runway, the collection has exhibited in secondary schools within Kampala and across Central region during the school tours organized by the fashion magnet.

Ahumuza has on many occasions been credited as a source of inspiration to the youth in Uganda.

The Abryanz Style & Fashion Awards. (2013- To Date)

With the idea of getting the fashion industry in Uganda pronounced and established, Brian Ahumuza begun The Abryanz Style & Fashion Awards back in 2013.^[9]

The awards were started with an aim of recognizing and appreciating all those individual that were and still are playing a huge role in steering this industry to the heights it’s reaching.

The maiden show was organized in the same year and had quite the reception from the public.

The 2015 edition of the awards though was the one that made the biggest mark ever; from the star studded guest list that included the likes of Nigeria’s Banky W, Big Brother Hot Shots, Sauti Sol and popular Kenyan Socialite Vera Sidika, to the Red Carpet.

The awards’ nominee list had individuals from across Africa including South Africa’s Bonang Matheba and David Tlale, Nigeria’s Swanky Jerry and Tanzania’s Milene Magese.

The show was held at the Kampala Serena Hotel, with the largest and most lit Red Carpet ever experienced in East Africa. The event was well attended by many fashion lovers from within East Africa, Nigeria, South Africa and overseas. Guests surly came out with their best glammed up looks, with the media going into a frenzy over how amazing all the guests looked.

The night was lined up with amazing showcases, award giving and a much anticipated performance from Nigerian Superstar, Banky W.^[10]

The show registered his biggest success ever, and had positive reviews from the media across the continent. There was live feed of the entire event’s proceedings by NTV Uganda, and post coverage from CNN, UBC, WBS, URBAN TV, Daily Monitor, New Vision, Red Pepper and NBS TV.^[11]

The Fashion Themes

The awards are run on themes, with each year having its own theme, depicting the year’s main goal or mission.

These include “Dress for Success” (2014) and “Fashion Is Freedom” for 2015.

The “Dress For Success” theme, was run alongside a campaign that involves photo shoots with many of Uganda’s elite, from a number of industries, including entertainment, Fashion and the Social Scene. These shared their success stories, and journeys, in a bid to inspire the young people. These included Radio & Weasel, Jose Chameleon, Gaetano Kaggwa, DJ Bush Baby, Just Jose, Zari The Boss Lady and so many others.

For the year 2016, the Abryanz Style & Fashion Awards will run under the theme, “Dress To Inspire.”

The goal for 2016 is to inspire, motivate and encourage more young people, to not only get involved in the industry but build a strong chain and bond that can help push the industry forward.

Ahumuza will be sharing his life and career story with many young people, on a number of school tours that will be taking place throughout the year leading up to the final event in December.

Recognition

Ahumuza has not only established himself as a household name in the fashion industry in Uganda, he has managed to grow his brand into one of the most respected in East Africa. He has received both local and international recognition and praise for his work.

At the start of 2016, Ahumuza was interviewed by Global broadcaster CNN, for their African Voices Segment.^[12] The Interview focused on the fashionista’s journey through the years, and received a lot of praise from his fans across the world.^[13][14]

He was also named the fashion personality of the year 2015, by Ugandan fashion blog, Fashion Republique.

Back in 2014, he was nominated for Fashion Icon of the Year, at the Kandake Youth Awards. His clothing franchise, The Abryanz Collection was awarded as the Best Youth Fashion Store in Uganda.

In 2015, Ahumuza was a part of other personalities from across the world that took part in the Coca Cola; Billion reasons to believe campaign.

The campaign was aimed at inspiring and also recognizing those individuals that were living testament to success and great accomplishments. His participation in the campaign was tagged along the line…

“For a guy who didn’t know he’d pursue a career in fashion, Bryan Ahumuza (Abryanz) is well versed in all things style. He believed in himself and followed his passion.”

Towards the end of 2015, he began working on a number of collaborations with the premium vodka brand, Ciroc Uganda.

Ahumuza has also been named one of the most stylish men in Uganda, and has been, twice, certified by New York Based fashion blog, Fashion Bomb Daily. The blog recognizes individuals from across the world for their impeccable sene of style. Ahumuza was the first Ugandan to be recognized by the fashion site.

He shares many of his stylish ensembles on his style blog, the Abryanz Style Journal.

In April 2016, Brian Ahumuza was awarded for the Young Entrepreneurial Entertainer in the CEPA awards, at Makerere University Business School,beating off competition from Singer Bobi Wine and Comedianne Anne Kansiime.

He is also a two time nominee for the Buzz Teeniez Awards for the Stylist of the year award. Ahumuza was also awarded for the Fashion Creative of the year 2016 at the Starqt Awards in South Africa.

On 14 May 2016, Brian Ahumuza was awarded as the top celebrity stylist at the Buzz Teeniez Awards.

Abryanz was named the new Ciroc UG Brand ambassador on 14 October 2016.^[15] The fashion guru broke records as he became the first East African to endorse the Premium Vodka Brand, Ciroc.

As a result of his great accomplishments and efforts in driving the fashion industry forward in Uganda, Ahumuza was selected as a key note speaker at the 2016 Seeds Fashion Show at the American Embassy in Kampala.

Styling Clientele

He has styled majority of Uganda’s musical elite including Jose Chameleon, Eddy Kenzo, A Pass , Ziza Bafana, Bebe Cool, Gravity Omutujju, Ronald Mayinja Afrigo Band, David Lutalo, and many others.^[16]

On the international scene, he has been the brains behind the costume choices for the likes of Dbanj, Wiz Kid, Dermaco, Diamond Platnumz, among other.

Abryanz Charity Foundation

Through his charity foundations, Ahumuza has collaborated with a number of other personalities in Uganda, and held numerous charity drives, aimed at making the lives of other Ugandans better.^[17]

Among the many activities include school tours, and charity drives, aimed at raising funds or any other form of assistance needed, to reach a hand.

The foundation held its first successful charity fundraiser in the year 2015, for the “Help Baby Israel” Campaign that was meant to raise funds for an operation for the little one.

External links

• Brian Ahumuza Official Facebook

See also

List of fashion designers

References