The image that says everything: Michael Mwangi Maina on Lamu
Lamu does not ease you in. The heat arrives before the sun is fully up, the light turns white by eight, and the stillness between the dunes and the sea feels like it has been there for centuries — because it has. It was in this particular quality of place that we chose to shoot Siafu’s 2026 campaign. And it was Michael Mwangi Maina we chose to help us see it.
I had followed Michael’s work for some time before we spoke. What drew me to him was not just his technical eye, but his understanding that objects carry meaning beyond their function — that a robe worn on a dune in the right light, in the right hands, can read like history. That felt exactly like Siafu.
A director who makes small acts read like history
Michael Mwangi Maina — known on Instagram as @Mbaalamwezi — is a Nairobi-based director whose work spans editorial, conceptual fashion film, and commercial production. His visual approach is concept-driven, rooted in cultural memory, and deeply attentive to the texture of everyday East African life. He draws on social undercurrents and the specificity of place to shape images that feel both immediate and archival — made for now, but intended to last.
His broader mission is to solidify the intersection between film and fashion in East Africa, with art as the foundation: merging tradition with the present, and creating a body of work for future creators to build on. When we met, it was clear we were speaking the same language.
On the day itself
“The day’s activities were well aligned from the outset. We had pre-selected our locations, roles were clearly defined and the schedule was maintained throughout. There was a strong sense of synergy across the team, with everyone moving in step and responding to the demands of the shoot with focus and efficiency. Despite the intensity of the heat, the team remained composed and consistent, sustaining the pace without compromising output. Even the donkeys arrived on location right on time — which speaks to how smoothly everything came together.”
The image that stayed with him
“My favourite image from the shoot is the one featuring Salim and Omar in matching robes, with Omar extending his hand to help Salim up along the side of the dunes. That moment carries a strong sense of symbolism — reflecting the core idea behind the shoot. Siafu redefining itself, and actively pulling itself forward into its next phase. A clear suggestion of progression and elevation.”
It is the image we keep returning to as well. Two men in handwoven robes, reaching for one another on a Lamu dune — it is the kind of photograph that does not need a caption.
Salim and Omar wear the Sungura Robe, handwoven in Nairobi
