Feature: China helps young Kenyan women keep up with global fashion trends

If you thought China and Kenya's relations come to the picture only when roads, railway and industrial construction is concerned, then you must be wrong.

Kenyans are slowly learning and taking up more Chinese trends. Eveline Nyambura, a second year political science student at The University of Nairobi knows this better than anyone else.

Nyambura's fashion sense makes her one of the most sought after girls in the campus. She gets hit on even by her senior students. Her nickname is Kim Kardashian.

During the interview with Xinhua on Monday, Nyambura wore a dusty black rugged jeans and a white high-low top that accentuated her African carves leaving both men and women admiring her fashion sense.

Nyambura said she changes her entire wardrobe every three months, thanks to China where most of her outfits come from.

"Most of my friends now call me Kim Kardashian because of my high profile fashion sense, most of them however don't know where I get my outfits from, save for a few friends who know the secret," Nyambura said.

"Well...it took me time before really knowing how to dress my body but I did a lot of research online and voila! I came across a host of Chinese models who gave me exactly what I wanted," she added.

Even though Nyambura is studying political science and this is where she has always dreamt making her career at, she says her deep sense of fashion which she has slowly worked on after getting more and more tips from her role models in China, might change her mind.

"I have realized I can make a good designer since I learn quite fast, I get some of my designs online and I haven't been disappointed in what I pick, my tailor too does a wonderful job. If I ever take this path, China will be my first choice to enhance my skills, what I have seen online and from the stall where I get most of my outfits is worth exploring," she said.

Julius Kibor's clothes store in the city is where Nyambura gets most of her outfits from. Kibor though a man, is also a favorite among many young women who are keeping up with the global fashion trends.

Kibor says browsing through fashion websites like TINYDEAL, Aliexpress and Sammydress has sharpened his skills in the clothing business which he says is very competitive.

"I took time understanding what my clients want and used what I learnt in getting the right clothes for them. Last year I got the privilege of dressing one of the winners in the Kenyan Miss Tourism Counties edition competition. China has given us access to some of the clothes only supermodels like Naomi Campbell would afford," said Kibor.

June Wanjiru, a mother of one and an accountant at a Nakuru-based security firm says she is thinking of establishing a business as an image consultant, thanks to her high fashion sense.

"I have a lot of friends who now come for tips on how to dress. I have learnt most of my dressing tips from websites where models pose with different outfits. I take time going through these websites but so far I have learnt a lot," she says.

Beatrice Kavengi's bridal shop in town is a beehive of activity as women check in and out. Kavengi's shop has now become famous due to her relatively affordable prices on wedding items.

"I started this business to cater for that group of bride's to be who don't want to spend a fortune on gowns," she said, adding "I get all my wares from China and there you get all you want at such huge discounts," she said.

A small survey by Xinhua in the Nairobi's Central Business District shows that most cloth shops get their stock from China.

Most women clothes go for as little as 6 U.S. dollars which is affordable to even low income earners.

"There were days when I only wore second-hand clothes as 'new' clothes were really expensive. Nowadays things are different I can comfortably walk into a shop in town and get something I like, China came to rescue some of us," says Wafula Wakoli, a security guard.

Gone are the days when Kenyan fashionistas looked west for inspiration, nowadays most designers look up to the Asian country to grow their careers.

Dennis Ndung'u, a fashion designer student at the Kenya Technical University says he gets most of his designs for his class assignments from Chinese websites.

"In our class I'm the best so far, I hope to go to China one day and have a clear picture of what happens there," he said. Endit