By Our Reporter
There are trend reveals the place the garments are the primary attraction. Then there are these the place trend turns into half of a bigger cultural expertise. Speedball Summer 2026 was the latter.
On August 1, Motiv in Bugolobi hosted Kampala’s creatives, trend fanatics and cultural tastemakers for the Speedball Summer, a youth-led showcase that introduced collectively streetwear, music, artwork and efficiency.
This 12 months, Guinness Smooth partnered with the occasion by its Make It Yours marketing campaign, putting creativity, individuality and self-expression on the centre of the expertise.
The partnership got here alive throughout the present’s Make It Yours phase, the place members of the viewers had been invited to reimagine outfits that had appeared on the runway.
Some added color. Others altered the construction of the clothes, launched new particulars or took the designs in totally totally different instructions.
It was a departure from the same old relationship between trend designers and audiences, the place the group watches from a distance. At Speedball Summer, friends had been invited into the artistic course of.
One garment might carry the concepts of a number of individuals, whereas a single pair of trousers might be interpreted in numerous methods.
For Guinness Smooth Brand Manager Denise Paula Nazzinda, the second mirrored the aim behind the partnership. “Through Make It Yours, Guinness Smooth is creating alternatives for younger individuals to specific themselves boldly and switch their concepts into one thing significant,” Nazzinda stated. “Speedball has constructed a neighborhood that celebrates originality, collaboration and genuine self-expression. This partnership allowed us to assist a platform the place younger creatives will not be solely showcasing their expertise but in addition shaping tradition by their very own tales and views.”
Speedball founder David Mulolo wished to maneuver past the acquainted trend runway, he partnered with Joshua Waiswa, popularly referred to as Josh SB, and his 360 Immersive workforce to mix a trend present with a reside orchestra. The end result was a manufacturing that usually felt nearer to a staged efficiency than a standard runway.
The lighting was crisp, the transitions had been measured and the fashions moved by the house with the orchestra offering a altering soundtrack.
At one level, the music carried the dramatic temper of a James Bond movie. Later, the power shifted because the present closed with Kanye West and Jay-Z’s N**as in Paris.
The mixture of orchestral music and streetwear created moments that made the viewers briefly overlook they had been watching a trend present in Kampala.
The garments, nevertheless, remained central.
Models appeared in saggy denims, outsized jackets, lower T-shirts, leather-based items, chains and distressed clothes. The designs had been daring however wearable, reflecting Speedball’s method to road trend: expressive with out being troublesome to put on.
Every garment offered on the runway was designed and made in Uganda, utilizing supplies sourced regionally.
For Mulolo, the phrase “Made in Uganda” ought to develop into greater than a producing element.
“Three years in the past, many people had been 17 or 18 years outdated and had an thought,” Mulolo stated after the present. “Today, we’re bringing collectively massive crowds and constructing one thing that folks imagine in. Every piece on that runway was designed and made in Uganda. We need ‘Made in Uganda’ to develop into one thing individuals are proud to put on and assist.”
The model’s ambitions lengthen past promoting garments. Speedball desires to increase its manufacturing capability, prepare extra younger individuals and construct a stronger native trend ecosystem.
“We need to create an area the place we are able to produce extra, customise extra and prepare extra individuals,” Mulolo stated. “Every garment individuals noticed was made by a small workforce. Imagine what might be achieved with extra expert individuals and higher manufacturing capability. That is how we are able to construct a stronger trade and finally compete on the worldwide stage.”
The Guinness Smooth partnership additionally introduced music into the night by a halftime efficiency that includes Tracy Noel, Julius Ssese and the orchestra. The performers moved between acquainted songs reminiscent of Rihanna’s Rude Boy and Ne-Yo’s Miss Independent earlier than transitioning to newer hits, together with Ayra Starr’s Who’s That Girl.
The orchestra was not merely background music. It helped form the rhythm of the night, connecting trend, efficiency and standard tradition.
Nazzinda stated supporting platforms reminiscent of Speedball Summer is a part of Guinness Smooth’s wider effort to work with artistic communities and provides younger expertise alternatives to be seen.
“Creativity has the ability to form tradition and open new potentialities,” she stated. “When younger individuals are given the appropriate platforms, they will collaborate, construct communities and create experiences that mirror who they’re. Speedball Summer confirmed the arrogance and originality that exists inside Uganda’s artistic scene.”
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