Who is Abryanz or Titus Brian Ahumuza? Flash Uganda Media looks at his biography, family, Abryanz collection, relationship, media career, Controversy, early life and education of Titus Brian Ahumuza.
Abryanz is a Ugandan fashion designer and the founder/ organizer of the Abryanz Style and fashion awards, a ceremony that celebrates and acknowledges fashion industry stakeholders. This awarding ceremony is held annually in Uganda since its inaugural ceremony in 2013.
The Abryanz Style and fashion awards is an evening of glitz and glamour and the biggest red carpet event in Africa is a true celebration of fashion and style with a list of guests across the entire continent.
Abryanz styles most of the musicians in Uganda and most of the media personalities in the industry.
Early life and education
Abryanz birth name Titus Brian Ahumuza was born in Masindi in November 1990.
He studied at Asaba primary school, Bugema Adventist secondary school and after his secondary education, he joined Kyambongo University where he graduated with a bachelors’ degree in social work and social administration.
Career
Ahumuza started his label in 2009 called the Abryanz collection and his designs were showcased in Uganda, Nigeria, South Africa, Africa fashion week. He has managed to feature in different issues of prestigious vogue magazines.
In 2013 he launched the Abryanz Style and fashion awards a continental fashion awards in Uganda intending to reward the outstanding achievement in the fashion industry in Africa.
These fashion and design awards offer two awards to both Ugandan and continental winners except the lifetime fashion icon achievement award.
Voting in the Abrayanz awards is done by the public through the official website and social media platforms.
The awards have the following categories:
- Life/ style fashion icon achievement award
- Designer of the year
- Male model of the year
- Female model of the year
- Male most dressed celebrity
- Female most dressed celebrity
- Most stylish artiste
- Most stylish female artiste,
- Most male dressed media personality,
- Most female dressed media personality
- Male fashionista of the year
- Female fashionista of the year
- Hairstylist of the year
- Fashion photographer of the year
- Stylish of the year
- Fashionable music video of the year
- Fashion blogger of the year.
2013 saw the first Abryanz Style and fashion awards held and a great many Ugandans attended the event at Lugogo’s MTN Arena. This event was attended by a prominent and internationally prominent and renowned designer Oswald Boateng.
The 2014 event was dubbed the “dress for success campaign” and this initiative endorsed the suggestion that fashion can stimulate and impact success.
The campaign was followed with testimonials of acclaimed personalities such as Mowzey radio and Weasel, Golola Moses, Zari amongst others.
In 2015 during this event, Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth Bagaya Nyabongo of Toro kingdom was honoured with the lifetime style and fashion icon achievement award for having made history as the first black model and African to feature on the cover of the Harper Bazaar magazine.
In 2016 the awards spread their wings to the rest of Africa and they went continental. It’s during this time that it turned to be a pure tenacity and solid growth as the award show went bigger and better.
In 2017 the ASFAs were graced by her royal highness the queen of Buganda Nabagereka Sylvia Naginda and the then executive director of Kampala Jennifer Musisi.
In 2019 and 2020 the awards weren’t held because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Abryanz has styled and dressed most Ugandan celebrities starting from musicians to media personalities. The list includes; Douglas Lwanga, MC Kats, Jose Chameleone, B2C and many more musicians.
Awards
In 2017 he was awarded as the best fashion designer in the Starqt awards in South Africa as well as the CEPA young entrepreneur in 2016 he featured as one of Africa’s rising stars on CNN African water.
Controversy
Abryanz has been accused of being gay and that most of the money he invests in this venture is got from this partner in the same business.
He was at times fallen out with musicians who have refused to pay for clothes he gives them and he has at times attacked them.
