Alvin – and his Sweater

Following the passing of the anti-terror law, I have decided to play it safe and only write about issues that will not put me at risk of getting into trouble with the NIS. My safety following what am about to write is however not guaranteed. In many ways, Alvin is more dangerous than the NIS. This is more so because he does not need parliament to pass a law in order for him to deal with me. Neither does he need the dreaded Government machinery to make me regret the day I met him. Alvin, my friend and colleague, is quite capable of using whatever is at hand to make his point. I remember one time when I taunted him until I got on his nerves. He took a roll of tissue paper from his desk drawer and hurled it at me. I dodged but the tissue unrolled and followed me all the way to my office. I decided to take advantage of the situation and keep the tissue since mine had run out. Alvin came and unapologetically demanded his tissue back. That’s how Alvin is – volatile.

Alvin is a fashionista. He has class and he has taste. In the office, we refer to him as the socialite. He knows what is trending and keeps up to date with the latest fashions. His style of dressing is all proper for his age. He is very particular about what he wears, whether it is custom-made or “mtumba” (Second Hand­). I remember one time when he had a coat made. The way he described it even before it was made was vivid. It would be fitting and have polka dot detail. Even the way he pronounced the word detail (detayle) was passionate. When it was finished and he came to the office in it, it was exactly as I had visualised it from his description.

I like the way Alvin matches his clothes. Everything from trouser, shirt, tie, shoes, and even socks, is in full colour harmony. About the only thing I don’t like about his fashion sense are the tight trousers. He however reminds me constantly that this is the latest trend. He has a way of making me feel old like that. You see, he is generation Z (That’s true since generation Y is for people born in the 80’s and Alvin is a 90’s kid). For those who may be curious, I am a generation X, and so you can see why Alvin and I could as well have been from different planets.

I know from my description of Alvin above, you can be forgiven for assuming that the fashion police have no business accosting him. Well, you are wrong. There are days when Alvin comes to work in this cream and brown sweater and I find myself getting shocked every time I look at him. The sweater appears to be one of those handmade antiques which were common in most Kenyan villages before second hand clothes flooded the market. Knitting a sweater was about the only way most people could acquire “customised” new clothes.

 

Alvin’s sweater reminds me of my first ever lesson in business education. We were taught that a business and its owner are two separate and independent entities. Every time I look at Alvin wearing his sweater, I see two autonomous entities. I simply cannot bring myself to see them as one. Alvin and his sweater (see right) are like a man and his business, especially one operating under a business name. They look totally unrelated.

I do not know the history behind Alvin’s sweater and after this expose; I don’t think he will be willing to share the story. I can only try to imagine what the story is. I am a layman when it comes to matters of fashion but I can tell how a strange phenomenon looks like. I guess I will never find out. I can only stare – and wonder – at Alvin – and his Sweater!

                                                                                  (Photo courtesy of Solomon Gikonyo)

P.S. Alvin (not his sweater) is quite efficient and professional in his work as the Executive Assistant where we both work, and as the Creative Director of AVIVA Consultants where your business can get marketing services, PR, Branding, Event Planning, and Staffing.