Santa Anzo is a Ugandan

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person, or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin , . Models can be divided in ...

fashion Fashion is a term used interchangeably to describe the creation of clothing, footwear, Fashion accessory, accessories, cosmetics, and jewellery of different cultural aesthetics and their mix and match into Clothing, outfits that depict distinct ...

ista,

fashion designer Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applied arts, applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has va ...

and

businesswoman A businessperson, also referred to as a businessman or businesswoman, is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial ...

, who is the founder, chief fashion designer and

managing director A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of ''Arapapa Fashion House'', based in

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,875,834 (2024) and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kampala, Kawempe Division, Kawempe, Makindy ...

, Uganda's capital city. She is also the founder and President of ''Uganda International Fashion Week'', an annual fashion exhibition.

Background and education

Santa Anzo was born in Uganda, circa 1975. Her parents trace their ancestry to

Moyo District Moyo District is a district in Northern Region of Uganda. Like many other Ugandan districts, it is named after its "chief town", Moyo, where the district headquarters are located. Location Moyo District is located in Uganda's extreme north, in ...

, in the

West Nile sub-region West Nile sub-region, previously known as West Nile Province and West Nile District, is a sub-region in north-western Uganda, in the Northern Region, Uganda, Northern Region of Uganda. Location The sub-region is bordered by the Democratic Republ ...

of Uganda. She attended Old Kampala Primary School, before transferring to Bat Valley Primary School, where she obtained her Primary School Leaving Certificate. For her O-Level studies, she went to ''Madhvani College'', in Wairaka,

Jinja District Jinja District is a district in the Eastern Region of Uganda. The town of Jinja is the district's main municipal and commercial center. Location Jinja District is bordered by Kamuli District to the north, Luuka District to the east, Mayuge Di ...

. She studied at ''Progressive Secondary School'', in

Bweyogerere Bweyogerere is one of the six townships or wards that constitute Kira Municipality in Wakiso District in southern central Uganda. The other five wards are Kimwaanyi, Kira, Kireka, Kirinnya and Kyaliwajjala. Location Bweyogerere is located on the ...

Wakiso District Wakiso District is a Districts of Uganda, district in the Central Region, Uganda, Central Region of Uganda that partly encircles Kampala, Uganda's capital city. The town of Wakiso is the site of the district headquarters. Kira Town, Kira, the count ...

, where she completed her A-level studies and obtained her

High School Diploma A high school diploma (sometimes referred to as a high school degree) is a diploma awarded upon graduation of high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary s ...

. She then enrolled into ''Dolphins Fashion School'', in Kampala, where she graduated with a Diploma in Fashion Design.

Career

In 1995, Ms Anzo was hired as waitress at Kampala Casino. She was also hired as a model at the same establishment and she modeled when not waitressing. In 1999, she met Sylvia Owori and together, they started ''Ziper Models'', with Anzo managing the business while Owori managed the talent. Anzo served as sales person, model trainer, and fashion model. She managed the finances, and choreographed fashion shows. This relationship lasted 16 months, before Anzo left Ziper Models. In 2001 Anzo left Ziper Models and started Arapapa. Arapapa means

butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

in her native Madi language. Two years later, she launched the Uganda International Fashion Week. She has showcased her designs at multiple fashion festivals including Fashion for Peace initiative, Kenya Fashion Week, Mozambique Fashion Week, Swahili Fashion Week in

Dar-es-Salaam Dar es Salaam (, ; from ) is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over 7 million people, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in East Africa by population and the ...

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

, Africa Fashion Exchange, in

Durban, South Africa Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South Africa, on the Natal Bay o ...

, among others.

Awards and honors

* 2nd position for the East African Designer of the year award at Swahili Fashion Week, December 2012, in Nairobi, Kenya. * Speaker at the first ever Fashionprenuer Summit held by Abryanz Style & Fashion Awards (ASFAs), October 2018, in Kampala, Uganda. * 1st Prize Presidential Transformers Appreciation Award, December 2016, in Kampala, Uganda. * Pioneer Ground Breaking Awards by Uganda Women Entrepreneur's Association, ICON & the International Labour Organization. * Showcased at Africa Fashion Exchange 2018 in Durban, South Africa. * Lifetime Fashion Icon Achievement Award 2015. * In 2014, the President of the

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

, recognized Santa Anzo as one of 87 women that have scaled heights in Uganda, she is applauded for an invaluable role in pioneering African fashion & modelling careers in Uganda.

References

External links

Santa Anzo: Untold story
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anzo, Santa 1975 births Ugandan fashion designers Living people 21st-century Ugandan businesswomen 21st-century Ugandan businesspeople People from Moyo District People from Northern Region, Uganda Ugandan women fashion designers

Background and education

Career

Awards and honors

See also

References

External links