Culture Inspired Designer
She attended both Namasagali and Nabbingo colleges for her O’ and A’ levels respectively before going to the UK where at Newham College she attained a degree in Art and Design in 2001. In 2002, she attended the London Academy of Design and Dressmaking, a fashion degree in women’s wear. In 2005, she attained two diplomas in Millinery Design and Lingerie design as well which she completed in 2006.
Maraka loves to study as she also has credentials of a business and entrepreneurship diploma course which she studied online at a site code named mybusiness.com and Lared.com respectively. I like to study and miss school a lot. Many designers today have good clothes but one fact still remains that running and managing their business is one thing they have failed to do, she says.
In 2004 the Iteso Welfare Association donated sewing machines and other tools to Kasilo Youth Training Centre in Teso and three years later, the story is that of development and change of a community. So I showed them what their donations have done. I did a documentary and took it back to London to show them what their donations have done over the years. Her maiden showcase of Maraka designs was in Uganda in 2004 at the Uganda Fashion week though she had been a freelance designer since 2002.
She has since held three fashion shows London in conjunction with the Iteso welfare association since 2005. Cultural inspiration This year in November, I showcased my latest line of clothing in London at the Iteso welfare function and this time I intended to show case the Itesot people’s culture the ‘Swahili people’. While I was in London for the fashion show, I showed the Kasilo Youth Training Centre documentary. My audience found it impressive, she said.