Yoshita 1967

Womenswear

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Biography

Anil Padia founded Yoshita 1967 in Nairobi, developing its first pieces with Catherine Wanjalo, a tailor he reconnected with after losing touch for nearly a decade. Working primarily in crochet, the two build garments and accessories that read as constructed rather than soft.

The label's signature pieces are built from hand-worked crochet, some fitted close to the body with structured bodices and flared peplum hems, others left open as fine mesh that drapes rather than holds shape. Mirror embellishment is worked directly into the crochet rather than applied afterward, catching light across the surface of a garment. Yoshita 1967 pieces also feature sterling silver-plated bells, sometimes clustered by the dozens, which are sewn into hems and panels so that pieces carry sound as well as shape when the wearer moves.

Every piece is made in Nairobi to order rather than held as stock. The mirror work draws on Gujarati embroidery tradition; the bells reference ornaments worn during Navratri celebrations. Padia produces the collection alongside a community of women artisans in Nairobi, among them a group of Zimbabwean-born nuns who joined the studio's production line.

In 2026, Yoshita 1967 became the first Kenyan label to reach the finals of the LVMH Prize, built on its Paris debut collection, Temple Road, and Manorama, the label's standing bridal line named for Padia's grandmother.

Accolades