At just 12 years old, Sally Karago knew she was destined for fashion. While most children in her age were still figuring out their hobbies, she was already captivated by the art of designing clothes.
She spent countless evenings watching her neighbour, a fashion designer, bring fabrics to life, stitching and draping them into elegant masterpieces.
Her family unknowingly nurtured her talent. As a young girl, Sally helped her parents choose outfits for different occasions.
“That’s how I started understanding colors. I would mix and match and create something completely different,” she recalled in a past interview with The Standard.
That childhood passion turned into a calling. After finishing her O-levels, Sally pursued fashion professionally, enrolling in a local fashion school where she graduated with a diploma.
However, her aunt saw even greater potential in her and encouraged her to go further. She then travelled to Europe to refine her craft.
Four years later, Sally returned home with a Master’s in Fashion and a dream to transform the Kenyan fashion landscape.
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A Designer for the Nation’s Most Powerful Women
When she came back, the term fashion designer was almost foreign and many in the fashion industry had not explored it yet.
Sally set up her fashion studio, relying on the support of her friends as her first clients.
Her breakthrough came unexpectedly at the Norfolk Hotel. She was a frequent guest and was unimpressed by the uniforms the staff wore.
Instead of complaining, she went into the general manager’s office and submitted a proposal to design a new outfit for one of the waiters, and her work won over the management. That is how Sally began working with corporate clients.
Eventually, her work caught the attention of Kenya’s most powerful women. It didn’t take long before Sally Karago became the go-to designer for First Ladies.
She dressed Mama Ngina Kenyatta, Kenya’s first First Lady, the late Mama Lucy Kibaki, and former first lady Margaret Kenyatta.
“To dress women who are powerful and recognized across the world boosted my gift and talent,” she shared.
Sally Karago Describes Relationship with the First Ladies
In a past interview with Cleaning The Airwaves, Sally recalled a day when former President, the late Mwai Kibaki’s daughter called let her know that her mother would be coming to shop for clothes.
“Right away, I called my team and told them, ‘Make sure everything is spotless’. When they arrived, the entire parking lot was filled with executive cars. Security personnel locked all the doors, and I was instructed to meet her by the car.
“The moment I saw her, I was unsure whether to bow or kneel. I had never experienced anything like that before,” Sally recalled.
From that first meeting, Mama Lucy became a loyal client, visiting so often that she would sometimes drop by even in Sally’s absence, comfortable enough to work directly with her staff.
Reflecting on her relationship with Mama Ngina Kenyatta, Sally described her as a wonderful client.
“We weren’t just designing clothes; we were building connections. We would sit and chat over a cup of tea. All the First Ladies I’ve worked with are incredibly wise and exude grace,” she shared.
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Starting a Designer School
Later, Sally noticed a gap in Kenya’s fashion industry. At the time, young designers lacked proper exposure and training. After years of mentoring, she realized that the best way to impact the industry was to formalize training.
In May 2009, Sally founded the Mcensal School of Fashion with the goal of “bringing London to Kenya”.
She wanted Kenyan students to receive the same quality education as their counterparts abroad, equipping them with the skills to compete on an international stage.
“I started Mcensal school in 2009 May, and it was something that I had written as a goal,” she said in a past interview.
“I schooled overseas and i saw that what students were getting here was not enough. So I decided to bring London to Kenya. My goal is to train our students to compete in the international world.”
For Sally, fashion is not just about creativity, it is a discipline.
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