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Isabel Agol

Self Employed

Naroho Company Limited

Other/ Not listed, Other/ Not listed

Agol is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of naRoho company limited. Established in 2016, naRoho is a women-led, accessible, and competitive manufacturer, that creates quality authentic leather accessories that inspire confidence in their clientele. naRoho intentionally provides a platform for young women and youth from under privileged backgrounds to gain economic and social empowerment through training in leather craft and other professional aspects like customer care among other courses, to establish a sustainable and ethical brand that is innovative, while remaining affordable.  naRoho aims to create freedom for young women and youth so that they can develop themselves and their families. Isabel Agol holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial and Fine Art from Makerere University and an MBA in International Business from Donau University - Krems, in Austria. Although she does not have any formal training in fashion her passion for the arts and african crafts fueled her passion to venture into leather craft where she taught herself leather accessories design. NaRoho has so far trained more than 35 youth in Kampala in the art of leather craft and is looking to grow that number in the coming years and establish itself as a leather training and manufacturing hub in the East and Central African Region.

Website

Extended Lives

Category: Design

Competitions:

Growing up, when a cow was slaughtered at home for a celebration or some kind of festivity, there was always excitement coz this was a big deal and we were going to eat meat, which was a reserved for well, Sundays and big celebrations. The one thing that always stood the test of time was the hide. After all the meat, feet and head have been eaten it was the hide that would be transformed into an array of things for everyday use like mats, cloth, bedding, roofing and the uses go on. And no piece of this material was wasted it was used as is with the animal attributes like the feet part being used to tie around the shoulder or waist to hold it in place. Our love for leather continues and leather articles are passed on from generation to generation, they are taken around the world through export of hides and import back into the country as second hand goods and we still use them torn or not. Inspired by the traditional use of leather in our homesteads, this design aims to showcase the versatility and durability of leather. In its raw or refined form, it is a material that radiates style, elegance and prestige.

Working with our partners at Arts Thread to develop lifelong learning and career opportunities for students of fashion and design. Our partnership provides the opportunity to compete on a world stage, participate in industry led workshops, set up an outstanding portfolio and gain access to the resources that will kickstart careers in fashion and design.