Bobby Kolade Is Turning Second-Hand Clothing Into Ugandan Fashion

Clothes are selected, dismantled and reconstructed before being sold to customers overseas. The project’s name, Return to Sender, makes its argument clear: Uganda can add creative and commercial value to the clothing arriving on its markets.

For founder Bobby Kolade, the challenge is making that proposition work as a business, with the production skills, distinctive designs and distribution relationships needed to persuade customers to buy.

A different starting point for design

Kolade returned to Kampala in 2018 after studying fashion in Berlin and working at Maison Margiela and Balenciaga in Paris. His initial ambition was to develop collections using Ugandan cotton. When that plan proved unworkable, he turned towards an abundant material already circulating locally: second-hand clothing. BUZIGAHILL launched its first collection in 2022.

The material shapes the design process. In an October 2026 interview with Secrid, Kolade explained that his team generally selects individual garments at Owino Market rather than buying whole bales, whose contents can be unpredictable. Different fabrics, conditions and proportions then have to be reconciled within a finished piece.

Visible seams and contrasting materials become part of the aesthetic. The design challenge is to make those variations feel intentional while developing techniques the team can apply across successive collections.

Building a workshop and a route to market

Behind that creative work sits a detailed production process. BUZIGAHILL describes inspecting and recording garments, washing them, dismantling them and checking quality again after reconstruction. Finished pieces receive individual passport labels and are photographed separately for the online shop. International orders ship directly from Kampala through DHL Express.

Kolade told Secrid that the business had grown to a team of 29, covering functions including buying, design, marketing and accounting. He also described learning to delegate more creative responsibility to the tailors. Production remains demanding: he estimates that making a garment takes at least a day, excluding selection, cleaning and repairs. These are founder-reported figures, rather than audited production data.

The pricing reflects a premium position. Its October online selection listed a drawstring T-shirt at US150 and a reversed suit jacket at US420. These retail prices do not establish production costs or margins. Beyond direct sales, the brand lists Japanese stockists including International Gallery BEAMS and several Takashimaya locations.

Growing the business behind Return to Sender

BUZIGAHILL’s July 2025 Berlin Fashion Week debut gave the project a larger industry platform. Subsequent presentations have retained the Return to Sender name, building recognition around a continuing idea rather than abandoning it each season.

Its environmental proposition needs careful framing. Reusing existing garments is documented; the sources reviewed do not provide an independently verified lifecycle assessment or audited volumes of clothing diverted from waste. Claims about emissions savings or large-scale environmental impact would therefore go beyond the available evidence.

The clearer achievement is the organisation of design, skilled production and international sales around work made in Kampala. Kolade now wants to explore accessories and ways to use materials the workshop cannot currently repurpose. The next challenge is to grow those capabilities while maintaining the quality that makes customers pay for the finished garment.

Sources :

BUZIGAHILL, “About Buzigahill” buzigahill.com

Secrid, “Secrid Talent Podium - Buzigahill by Bobby Kolade” Buzigahill by Bobby Kolade

Mixte Magazine, « Buzigahill, les nouveaux héros de l’upcycling » Mixte Magazine

BUZIGAHILL, “October Drop” BUZIGAHILL

BUZIGAHILL, “Stores” BUZIGAHILL

Press Factory, “BUZIGAHILL Makes Runway Debut as Bobby Kolade Returns to Berlin Fashion Week SS26”