The name Awuor was given to me by my Luo family. Ceiphers comes from the Luo Tribe in Kenya. They mainly reside around Lake Victoria and are river/lake nylots, meaning fish is a staple food and they eat a ton of it! Luo is the name of the tribe, but also the name of the language. In Kenya, there are two official languages: Swahili and English. Most people learn both. There are also tribal languages, such as Luo. Awuor is from the Luo language.
My Luo family gave me the nick name Awuor very early on in our relationship, before we even got married. In the Luo community, a child's name is based on the time, season or circumstances at birth. In my case, I was born at 3 AM, thus the name "Awuor." For a boy, we would replace the A with O: Owuor. My mother in law has called me this name for years now and it holds a special place it my heart.
Ceiphers Clothing is obviously named after Ceiphers Olweya and is African inspired. It only makes sense to tell his story and share his culture with our following. People who are close with us may understand that although the brand is named after Ceiphers, we work as a husband and wife team and both play a huge part in making the brand what it is today. Those who are not close to us may not know or understand all that we both bring to the partnership. This new collection is a platform to bring my story to life.
The fabrics presented in the Awuor Collection are carefully designed with a purpose. You'll notice some of the fabrics match other products from both the women's and the men's side of the store. As a couple, Ceiphers and I often coordinate our looks to match (sometimes on purpose, sometimes not!) It's flourished in both of our personalities and we want that to shine through our brand.