Meet the Team

Ruth Abade

Ruth is the designer of all things Blackfly. With a degree in Industrial Design from Nairobi University, she went on learning about traditional crafts in a project that was developing prototypes together with traditional “jua kali” artisans in Nairobi. She then spent a year in Italy learning leather bag design at the Scuola del Cuio in Florence before starting Blackfly Designs in Nairobi in 2012.

“I started Blackfly by designing jackets for women from African print fabric. In 2012 I established my own studio at Adams Arcade in Nairobi. Soon we had accumulated a colourful mosaic of cut out pieces of fabric. From these spill pieces, I made skirts all kinds of accessories. Upcycling became a passion. Now we recycle leather from old jackets, and buttons, zips, straps and buckles from mitumba, second hand clothes. My other passion is traditional, handmade African fabrics, which we collect from all over the continent.