The New TimesMay 2025
“Trends come and go but a well-made suit always speaks volumes.”
Feature on Empire Menswear’s approach to bespoke tailoring and the growing luxury menswear market in East Africa.
OUR STORY
THE EMPIRE STORY
From fitness to fashion. From Kigali to the world.
Chapter One
From Fitness to Fashion
Laurien Izere, known across Africa as The Trainer, didn’t start in fashion. He built his name in the fitness world — a content creator whose discipline and presence resonated with millions. But beneath the training videos and motivation posts, a deeper ambition was taking shape. He noticed something missing in the African menswear landscape: truly bespoke tailoring that matched the confidence of the men who wore it.
“I saw men who had everything — success, ambition, presence — but nothing in their wardrobe that matched who they were becoming.”
The Philosophy
The Rich Men Looks Philosophy
Empire Menswear was never about imitating European fashion houses. It was about building something rooted in African confidence — suits that speak the language of power, cut for men who command rooms without raising their voices. Every fabric is selected for how it drapes under Kigali sunlight. Every silhouette is designed for the African physique, not adapted from foreign patterns. This is not imitation. This is origin.
“We don’t dress men to look European. We dress them to look like exactly what they are — powerful African men who answer to no one.”
The Vision
Based Between France and Rwanda
With roots in Kigali and a presence in France, Laurien Izere operates between two worlds — absorbing the precision of European craft while staying grounded in the energy of East Africa. His mission extends beyond tailoring. Through Empire Menswear, he is building a platform that proves African luxury is not an aspiration — it’s a reality. He is inspiring a generation of young Rwandans to see entrepreneurship, creativity, and self-presentation as paths to greatness.
“I want every young man in Rwanda to know that excellence is not imported. It is built here, with our own hands.”
Craftsmanship
Every suit is cut to your measurements and perfected by hand.
500+Suits Crafted
300+Satisfied Clients
15+Countries Delivered
Our Commitment
MADE IN RWANDA
Empire Menswear is a proud participant in Rwanda's Made in Rwanda initiative, launched in 2015 to champion locally manufactured goods and celebrate homegrown talent. Every garment we produce supports local artisans, sustains traditional tailoring techniques, and contributes to a growing ecosystem of Rwandan craftsmanship that is earning recognition across the continent and beyond.
When you wear Empire, you wear the hands of Kigali. You carry the pride of a nation that builds, not borrows.
Press & Media
As Seen In
RadioTV10November 2025
“A new generation of Rwandan men is redefining what it means to dress with intention.”
Television feature on Rwandan men redefining style, spotlighting Empire Menswear and the movement toward locally crafted luxury.
VISIT US
Walk in. Get measured. Walk out in style.
La Bonne Adresse, 4th Floor, Kigali Town, Rwanda
+250 795 262 624 / +250 785 295 925
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