Rwandan Fashion Designers to Access London Market Through Tales House Partnership
Rwandan fashion designers are set to strengthen their presence in the United Kingdom market following a new collaboration with Tales House, a London-based fashion and creative retail platform, after a UK High Commission-supported visit exposed local designers to opportunities in the London fashion ecosystem.
The initiative began with a delegation of Rwandan designers traveling to London to explore market opportunities, where their creativity and craftsmanship caught the attention of Tales House.
For Tales House’s founder Tobi and Bukky Asehinde, the encounter was an opportunity to discover a fashion market it had not yet fully explored.
“What made us say yes immediately was the designers themselves,” Bukky Asehinde said, describing the Rwandan delegation as energetic and noting that the pieces they wore had already started conversations before the formal presentation of their collections.
The company said its interest was also driven by its ambition to build a genuinely pan-African fashion platform.
“Tales House was started because we knew there was amazing craftsmanship and design in Africa. But when the space came to life, we started meeting designers from different parts of Africa. It felt like everyone had been waiting for a space that we could all call our own,” Bukky revealed.
The arrival of the Rwandan delegation therefore came as a welcome discovery for the London-based platform.
“We have seen Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Kenya, and when we saw Rwanda, we were so excited. We said, these are the amazing pieces that you create. How can we get more Rwandan brands into the UK market, starting from Tales House?’” Bukky added.
She also highlighted the quality, authenticity and attention to detail demonstrated by Rwandan designers.
“For us, it ticks all the boxes—the quality, the level of attention and the authenticity,” the representative said.
A UK-Rwanda trade opportunity
The UK High Commission in Rwanda has positioned the initiative within the broader economic and trade relationship between Rwanda and the United Kingdom.
The UK Deputy High Commissioner, Jennifer Stockill, said connecting Rwandan designers to the London market aligns with Rwanda’s development ambitions, particularly those outlined under the second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2).
“What we love about this project is that, on the one hand, it really supports our economic development goals in Rwanda,” the Deputy High Commissioner said.
“If you look at Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) and the goals around high-value-added industries, manufacturing and Rwanda’s role as a hub in the region, it is a really good fit.”
Jennifer added that the initiative also reflects the High Commission’s interest in promoting Rwandan creativity internationally.
“We also just love Rwandan fashion and we wanted to do the little bit we can as the High Commission to help expose these brands to a much wider market and make those links where we think there should be real demand for Rwandan fashion.”
Expensive location, bigger opportunity
While discussions are continuing on how Rwandan designers can access the London market, House of Tayo has already committed to establishing a presence at Tales House.
The Kigali-based menswear brand is expected to begin a residency at Tales House in September, allowing it to sell its products through the London platform for an extended period.
For Matthew Rugamba, the founder of House of Tayo, the decision is the result of years of experimentation with the London market.
The designer began testing the market through temporary pop-ups, including one in 2024 and two in 2025.
“I saw the reality. The opportunity is big. You can make a lot of money, but it is very expensive,” he said.
The partnership with Tales House, he said, provides a more practical way of maintaining a presence in London while benefiting from the platform’s network and experience.
“Through our partnership, House of Tayo will do a residency at Tales House, and we will sell through their store. That makes it a bit more affordable for us.” he said.
Unlike short pop-ups, the arrangement will allow House of Tayo to maintain its products in the London market for more than a month, giving potential customers more time to discover the brand.
For Rugamba, the value of the opportunity also lies in the network and expertise available through Tales House.
Building a community to reduce the cost
While Tales House acknowledges that the financial requirements could be a barrier for emerging brands, it says it is exploring a collective model that would make the London market more accessible.
The platform’s representatives said designers do not necessarily need to establish individual stores or carry the full cost of a Central London presence on their own.
“One of the major things is the financial side, and we’ve made it as collective as possible,” explains Bukky.
The proposed model would allow several designers to share space and logistics, reducing the cost of entry.
For Tobi, the co-founder of Tales House, he explained that Central London’s high operating costs make collaboration essential.
“Central London is very expensive. The only way to ensure that African brands are able to come and have a house in Central London is to look at how a community can be built,” he said.
The objective, he added, is not simply to give designers temporary access to London, but to create a sustainable pathway for them to establish themselves.
“We’re not just housing these brands; we’re also building a community that comes together to reduce the cost, so that they can be in Tales House for a longer time, as opposed to being there for a week and just leaving.” he said.
The collaboration between Tales House, the UK High Commission and Rwandan designers could therefore become more than an opportunity for individual brands. It has the potential to create a structured route through which Rwandan fashion businesses can test international demand, build export capacity and establish long-term commercial relationships in one of the world’s major fashion markets.
As the first Rwandan brands begin to establish themselves in London, the initiative offers a practical example of how creative industries can contribute to Rwanda’s NST2 ambitions where the government targets the increasing export growth from $3.5 billion to $7.3 billion.
About Tales House
Tales House is a London’s first permanent luxury destination for African and diaspora fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Located in Central London, just off Oxford Street, it provides a premium space where African fashion brands and designers can showcase their products, connect with customers and access international markets.
For Rwandan designers, Tales House is positioning itself as a potential gateway into the UK market, providing not only retail space but also access to expertise, networks and a community that can support brands seeking sustainable international growth.
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