Like so many other creatives, Glo Creations founder Gloria Kamanzi Uwizera, wasn’t exactly sure how she could translate her drawing skills and her eye for detail into a professional career. It wasn’t until her aunt introduced her to the batik technique, that she realized she could combine this traditional method with printing her own designs onto shirts and other clothing items. This new passion of hers began as a hobby that quickly developed into a growing business. She started selling her printed batik shirts at church on Sundays and, within no time, word spread around the Senegalese community where she was studying at the time.

“I fell in love with the mixture of colours and its beauty on textile. With my artistic gift of drawing, the experience of batik became more interesting,” Gloria told us.

Upon returning to Rwanda in 2005, Gloria continued to develop her skills through research and visits with other artists from different countries including Malaysia, India and the USA. As she grew more confident about her glowing creations, Gloria set up shop from the tiny kitchen in her home and worked towards garnering an interest in her products from her local community.

“Glo Creation’s trendy styles are inspired by our culture and tradition. My community has taught me to diversify styles, create colours and fuse patterns inspired by culture and modern trends,” Gloria explains. “Since its beginnings, Glo Creations has evolved into a number of things – from the craft area to specializing in textile design and printing. We were able to introduce our own inspired patterns via clothing lines, home accessories and customized cloth pieces. As the demand grew, we found ourselves inspired to create styles that reflect simplicity, uniqueness and originality.”

Unique truly is the keyword in terms of Glo Creations’ products: their simplistic but eye-catching designs do not just perfect every fashion garment, they also allow homes to glow with cultural history and modern originality. Gloria and her staff of skilled printers and designers aim to elevate the homes of their local and international clients with Afropolitan pieces that celebrate cultural heritage in a modern age. Whether you’re looking for that perfect handbag or a collection of cushion covers that will become the focus-point of your living-room or bedroom, Glo Creations can provide.

Glo Creations has become a regular at national and international trade fairs such as Origin Africa, as well as conferences and exhibitions such as the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise and, as such, has begun to branch out further afield. Gloria is excited about the future of her incredible company and is already setting plans in motion.

“Our main goal is to grow our line of printed textile for different types of products along with specialized services to our clientele. The other goal is to expand to other markets to specific niches,” she explains. 

If you’re new to Glo Creations, visit their website and familiarize yourself with a wealth of beautifully designed, batik-inspired fashion garments and home accessories. We can almost guarantee your home will be decked out with the most original designs from Rwanda in no time.