Twenty-nine-year-old Sharonne Otieno is a multifaceted, award-winning stylist, model, designer, and fashion entrepreneur. Her love for fashion began in childhood, and in 2016 she made her entry into the local industry as a model.
Twenty-nine-year-old Sharon Awour, alias Sharonne Otieno is a multifaceted, award-winning stylist, model,designer, and fashion entrepreneur.
Photo credit: Pool
As her career evolved, she discovered a passion for styling and honed her craft under the mentorship of stylist Eddie Kirindo. This journey also ignited her interest in design, an asset that now seamlessly complements her styling work.
I studied Bachelor Of Arts in Community Development. I wanted to work with NGOs to bring about positive change in the community. I remember in my first year, I contested for Miss Moi University 2014 and I won. I pursued Pageantry for a few years and then pivoted to doing commercials, runway and styling.
I haven’t done runway shows for two years now, my last show was The Tribal Chic 2023. I have not taken any professional courses, but I research a lot online, and that’s the beauty of the internet, we can all learn and access information based on our interests.
From streetwear to haute couture, which fashion genre feels most natural to you, and which one challenges you the most?
I do not see any category as a big challenge. I like to view it as a point of experimentation and discovery. Starting with my own style, I love to try out new concepts and ideas that are quite unconventional.
Twenty-nine-year-old Sharon Awour alias Sharonne Otieno is an award-winning stylist and fashion entrepreneur.
It starts with understanding the client’s vision and what they want to achieve. I recently styled Kate Actress. For this shoot, she envisioned an Afro modern theme designed by a Kenyan Designer. The outfit had to be a fine mix of modern style with the African theme so that it would be relatable with the global audience. I worked with Ellen Designs to create the pieces for the shoot. Ellen Designs has a great understanding of how to incorporate Kenya’s flag colours into an afro-modern style. I have also worked with Brian Babu to style a music video for Bien.
Versatile is how I would describe my style. I try to have pieces that are versatile and can work for various occasions. Fashion and style are very personal to me as they are the things I have control over. I see fashion and styling as tools to bring out the best version of myself. Even when I am at home, you will find me in stylish matching pajama sets.
Sharon Awour.
Photo credit: Pool
When working on Billboard styling projects, how do you prepare mentally for that kind of visibility? And how do you handle negative feedback?
There is always bits of nervousness before the campaign rolls out. This is due to the expectations I have for myself on how I want the campaign to roll out. On negative feedback, I have learnt to focus on things that I can control in such moments. I focus on staying calm and only responding with well thought out feedback when need be. The response has to be from a point of knowledge, understanding and facts. When working as a stylist, I try to make my clients feel heard, seen and understood. Sometimes we might have differences in the creative vision, but I try to deliver on the main goal of the campaign.
What’s your take on the current representation of African women in fashion campaigns and what would you like to see more of?
Things have really changed for the better. A few years ago, beauty standards were very focused on the very slim and tall physique, but when you look at the typical African figure, we have fuller body silhouettes. It’s encouraging to see personalities such as Achieng’ Agutu working with international brands.
Do you believe fashion can be a form of storytelling or activism? How do you express that in your work?
Yes I do. Fashion is one of the best forms of expression. You can pass a very clear message without even saying a word. Graphic messages on clothes are a form of activism, a way of influencing people to join that movement. I have a series called “Fashion Fridays” where I share stories about fashion and how it merges with real life moments. For example, in October we spoke about Breast Cancer and created awareness around the movement. I also wore a lot of pink outfits as a way of contributing towards breast cancer awareness campaigns.
Fun Fact: If I was not in fashion, I would either be a visual artist or a musician. I tend to draw and paint a lot during my free time
