Could trash fashion' save this Nairobi neighbourhood from drowning in discarded western clothes?

"Antony Njoroge paces back and forth, camera in hand, as people bombard him with questions. What do we do with this? Where should I put it? The light's better over here! Tony, one second please. The film-maker and his co-producer Sally Ngoiri are putting the final touches to an event that they never imagined would actually come to life when they first thought up the idea back in May: the first fashion show to be staged in Gikomba, Nairobi, east Africa's largest secondhand clothing market."

"The idea comes from my personal experience as a citizen, seeing how my neighbourhood was getting dirtier. I saw how the Nairobi River often gets clogged with discarded clothes and plastic waste, says Ngoiri. I chose to tell this story in Gikomba because it's where most of the mitumba ends up, but also to show locals that there are other ways of doing things."

"Kenya imports more than 185,000 tonnes of secondhand clothing every year yet up to 40% of it is unwearable, ending up in dumpsites instead of closets. The trailer for Wasteland begins by showing this mountain of waste disguised as charity. It is due to premiere in June at the Alliance Francaise in Nairobi. The story follows Luca Wakarindi, a young entrepreneur who owns a secondhand store in Gikomba and shares her journey from thrifting to becoming a producer and fashion stylist."

Antony Njoroge and co-producer Sally Ngoiri organized the first fashion show in Gikomba, Nairobi, East Africa's largest secondhand clothing market. The event is part of a documentary titled Wasteland that examines mass importation of mitumba to Kenya and showcases how local stylists and designers repurpose secondhand garments. Gikomba serves as the focal point where much of the mitumba accumulates and where discarded clothes and plastic waste clog local waterways. Kenya imports over 185,000 tonnes of secondhand clothing annually, with up to 40% deemed unwearable and sent to dumpsites. The documentary follows entrepreneur Luca Wakarindi and will premiere at the Alliance Francaise in June.

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