Ugandan fashion designer Monica Khatokho has celebrated her birthday in style. The birthday of the designer which falls on January 6 this time got her brand name and clothing brand cross borders. According to Khatokho of Khatz Moniq Apparel, a fashion store, she has for a long time been a fan of Nigerian singer Ric Hassani and one of her wishes was to get close to the singer. To Khatokho, she says the connection was made possible by God because she followed the singer on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and he followed her back and the rest was history.
This year as they celebrate their birthdays that fall on the same day, Khatokho decided to make a Ugandan inspired outfit from Katz Moniq for Nigerian star Ric Hassani. The outfit is meant for the artistes’ as a gift from a Ugandan designer and a fan.
According to Khatokho, she designed for herself a custom made gown with zebra prints and actually looked like a zebra and for the Nigerian star, she made a tailored suit with a shirt that has “stylish” zebras printed on it. Khatokho says she prefers the Zebra print on most of her outfits because it connects with her rare and unique illness that she got in 2016 and the same illness that inspired her into starting the clothing brand.
The Zebras on his shirt happen to be registered trademark of the Fashion house and the same stylish zebras that appear on Ric Hassani’s shirt also appear on Monica’s gown. In her fashion language, Khatokho defines her outfit as a seven in one transformative outfit while Ric Hassani’s was a kaftan with his face hand painted on by a Ugandan artist known as JK Jaymore. Ric also wore a tracksuit with Kikoyi details.
Khatz Moniq Apparel is a Ugandan based contemporary ethical brand founded by Monica Khatokho and Peace Mwambukya. The two are former students of Dyna Vence School of fashion in Kampala and also graduates from Makerere University where Khatokho pursued Law and Mwambukya a Bachelors in Population studies.
Their fashion store was started as a luxury brand but later but later realized the need to create awareness of all rare diseases using our fashion background. Khatz Moniq is also the fashion house behind city Lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde’s outfit that trended on social media during a court session and on independence (The wakanda Photoshoot).