Two sisters from Lesotho have become the first African brand ever to be invited to the Kingpins Show, the world’s biggest denim trade festival, which took place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 15 and 16 April.
Bohloeki and Boikokobetso Sibolla, the creative force behind Maseru-based label Insyd/Owt Creatives, travelled to Amsterdam as part of the Future Fit Forum, an exclusive segment of the Kingpins Show featuring just a handful of brands worldwide. Kingpins Show The show itself is invitation-only. Kingpins Show
The Sibolla sisters have built their brand around repurposed denim, giving discarded fabric a second life rather than sending it to the landfill, an approach that places them at the forefront of Africa’s circular fashion movement. 
As part of the Kingpins programme, Insyd/Owt Creatives partnered with American denim giant Levi Strauss on the Rescue501 mission. Levi’s handed the sisters two metres of fabric and a pair of discarded 501 jeans, which they transformed into new pieces. The duo also partnered with laser technology specialists Jeanologia to etch their narrative, “A Letter to the Landfills,” into the fabric using cutting-edge technology.
Their trip to the Netherlands was made possible through the Regional Value Chains Lesotho (RVCL+) Project, a programme co-funded by the European Union and the German government, managed by Lesotho’s Ministry of Trade and implemented by GIZ.
The Sibolla sisters also joined an all-women sustainability panel at the show, where they spoke about the future of denim as the first African brand to do so in the event’s history.
