There is never a dull moment when one wears it. This is umushanana, Rwanda’s traditional women’s attire. Made of light and heavy silk, it’s flowy and soft and comes in bold prints and plain cloth.

This attire makes a fashion statement when worn right.

It used to be a two-piece attire that past generations never thought of changing its originality until the generation Y took an interest.

The original umushanana consisted of a wrap skirt with enough gathers at the hips and a sash that drapes over the shoulder.

Traditionally, this dress was mainly worn by older women. With the changing times, umushanana is now mostly worn during formal occasions.

The tables have been turned and younger women are embracing wearing of umushanana more, albeit, differently.

These days umushanana comes in one piece like the sari, the traditional Indian dress worn by women.

Dinah Murebwayire is a business woman who leases out mishananas during ceremonies; she says that young women prefer modern umushanana to the traditional one.

This is because they are more creative and daring; they know what they want and when they want it. So they want to experiment with new designs to come up with unique styles.

Maria Uwineza, a newly wed, chose to wear the new mushanana during her ugusaba (dowry negotiations) because she thinks the new design is girlish and less fussy than the original one.

Like everything else, fashion has never been constant. It is amazing to note that even traditional dresses are now altered to suit current fashion trends.