FASHION TAKES CENTER STAGE AT ORIE ROGO MANDULI’S REQUIEM MASS (PHOTOS)

It was all glitz and glamour at Orie Rogo Manduli’s requiem mass held at the All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi on Tuesday, October 5, 2021. The event saw the who’s who show up to celebrate the life of the fearless politician donning colourful Ankara outfits matched with Manduli’s signature head gear.

Mid service there was a fashion show session in church courtesy of Rialto Fashions, fashion designer Lucy Rao showcased her collection which was designed with Maasai fabric complete with the dramatic head gears, speaking to Buzz  Central, she said, “Orie inspired the collection and we worked with her daughters Elizabeth and Janice. Manduli evolved at every stage in her life and made her presence felt and seen; that no one could ignore her. She was her own brand with the big head gears which mesmerised Kenyans. She converted the Nigerian gele into her own style and Kenyans started calling any big head gear a Manduli. Conceptualising, designing and producing the collection took three days. Many times as a designer, one has to work backwards, ie begin with the end in mind.“

As a friend, Rao added,”She was my customer and a friend, very many times she would pick a design and personalise it. Her style always spoke for her without her talking. She always had an upright posture and nice legs. She was a woman who loved colour and extravagance, the pieces she wore had to be dramatic.”

“Orie Rogo Manduli was an African lioness,  When she spoke we all listened.  She was relentless and untamed.  Her fashion sense was impeccable, the head gears left people in awe every time. We celebrate our African Queen, Ambassador Orie Rogo Manduli for always speaking her mind without fear and standing firmly on her beliefs.” Said Dorothy Oliech the founder of Mochez Models. Manduli will be laid to rest on Saturday October 9 at her home in Kitale. She died at her Riverside home in Nairobi aged 73 on September 15. She is survived by two daughters.