Team Amani in a new outfit: Outfitter Rapha presents collection in East African look

Founded in 2020, Team AMANI has its training base in Iten, Kenya, where the riders train in the Great Rift Valley at 2400 metres above sea level. After successes in the off-road sector, the programme was awarded UCI Women's Continental Team status in 2026. The declared goal is to start at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift by 2028.

Design and inspiration

The collection draws on textile traditions from East Africa. Patterns such as the Kenyan Kanga, Congolese Kuba fabrics and the Rwandan Imigongo pattern can be found in the clothing. The Ethiopian flower Adey Abeba, a symbol of the Ethiopian New Year Enkutatash, appears as a recurring motif on the jerseys. The colour palette of green, blue and red is based on natural dyes that have been adapted for contemporary designs.

Lorot Lawrence explains: "The mixture of green, blue and red reminds me of textiles from Uganda and brings tradition to our team design. The flowers are recognisable throughout East Africa." Eyerusalem Haftu Reda adds that the yellow flowers on the shoulder represent the Ethiopian New Year according to the Ge'ez calendar. Xaverine Nirere emphasises that the Imigongo pattern from Rwanda is represented in the design.

Campaign and materials

Photographer Finley Newmark and stylist Kennedy Mirema worked with regional materials. Sisal, a basic material for traditional clothing in Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia, is used as a headdress in the campaign. Kauri shells, which were used as currency in Africa for centuries, and flower crowns modelled on the Ethiopian Surma people complete the visual design.