Fall Down Once, Get Up Twice - How the youth-led collective FRAGILE is Blending Skateboarding, Streetwear, Art, and Sustainability

It started as a clothing brand. An idea that was struck up between three friends working at KFC, in Kigali, Rwanda, during the pandemic, all with a shared love for skateboarding. Their apparel combines the energy of skate culture, streetwear, and bold designs, inspired by the people around them and the people they look up to. But today, Fragile is much more than just a clothing brand; it is a community. 

Pictures from the latest Go Skate Day

While skateboarding has been a sport for decades, it is still a rage all over the world and only growing in popularity, with it being one of the newest sports to be added as an Olympic sport in 2020. Africa, too, has embraced the skateboarding hype. In 2016, Skate-Aid, an NGO, brought skateboarding to Rwanda by building a skatepark in Kigali. “It was like a home for skateboarders,” recalls Chris Manzi, one of the co-founders and creative director for Fragile. But in 2020, the skatepark was demolished to make room for a golf course expansion – a major blow to the budding skate scene in Kigali. 

In hindsight, that demolition was a defining moment, as it put the future of skateboarding in Kigali at a crossroads. It was at that moment that Fragile stepped in, embodying a key practice that defines both skateboarding and the brand – resilience. “It’s easy to fall on a skateboard, but you just have to get up”, says Manzi. The act of getting up after falling has become central to Fragile’s identity, shaping how they approach skating and how they build community. After the skate park was knocked down, a lot of skaters were discouraged, and many people decided to give up skating. But Manzi and his co-founders “wanted to bring everybody back together”, and for the past four years, this is exactly what they have been doing. 

The absence of a skate park has not stopped Fragile from continuing to inspire people to take up the sport. They began hosting events like “Go Skate Day” to bring skaters, new and experienced, together. At these events, their goal has been to “sensitize people who think they cannot skate to come and skate”. While people are welcome to just watch and observe, Fragile encourages them to try it out for themselves and “interact with the skateboard”. Manzi argues that skateboarding is just as much mental as it is physical: “You have to believe that you can do a trick before you do it”. 

Two Models wearing Fragile’s skate-inspired streetwear

Their outreach extends to more than just their Go Skate Days, as they have begun to reach out to the youth and inspire them to start skateboarding from a young age, rather than at 19, 20, or 21, which is when a lot of the people who are part of this community began to skate. At Green Hills Academy, Fragile has introduced skateboarding to children as young as six, looking to expand this program to other schools in the area. They have begun to cultivate a new generation of Rwandan skaters, who could very likely one day compete at the highest level. 

Sustainability is also a big part of what they do by embracing zero-waste practices such as repurposing fabric scraps and upcycling old clothes. Through this, they “show people that nothing has to go to waste”. 

So what began as a clothing brand inspired by skate culture quickly evolved into something bigger. Alongside their apparel and their love for skateboarding, Fragile has invested deeply in building a creative, connected community of people with different talents, whether it’s painting, digital designs, film, or music. Their Family Gathering events are a prime example of this. These gatherings are part art showcase, part music festival, and part skating – a space where creatives can collaborate, share ideas, and inspire each other. 

Screenprinting at Framily Gathering

And what’s next for this brand? 

Looking ahead, Fragile has no plans to slow down. In September, they are headed to Nairobi, Kenya, for a collaboration with Kuba Studios, as well as some other partnerships set to be announced soon. They also plan to expand their workshop to create a place where young people can learn skills such as sewing, pattern-making, and screen printing. Further down the road, their biggest goal goes back to where it all began – building a skate park. Additionally, they are developing a membership program to keep their growing community of creatives connected. Through this, it will be easier for people to sign up for events, communicate, and collaborate. 

Because for Fragile, their community is not about exclusivity. “Anyone can join,” says Manzi, “we are building something open.”