Shalom Aburu: Full Circle — Fashion, Pageantry, and the Art of Becoming

Some moments feel quietly monumental — the kind that stop you in your tracks and remind you how every chapter of your life has been preparing you for the one you’re standing in now.

For Shalom Aburu, this photoshoot was one of those moments.

She stepped onto set not as a model or a pageant queen, but as a fashion designer, watching women bring her designs to life.

The models that day were all pageant queens, carrying titles, grace, and responsibility she knows intimately.

As a former Miss Uganda North America 2018 and Miss Africa Washington State 2018, dressing women who now hold similar crowns felt deeply full-circle.

From Uganda to the Runway

Born and raised in Uganda, Shalom’s love for fashion began early — long before runways or fashion weeks were part of her reality. Before moving to the United States for college, she taught herself how to sew by deconstructing thrifted clothing, carefully studying how garments were constructed and reimagining them through her own creative lens.

Fashion was instinctive. But it wasn’t until college that she was given the freedom — and encouragement — to see it as more than passion.

Her first designs debuted at a college event. A few years later, she created her first official runway collection, marking the beginning of a career rooted in culture, storytelling, and bold expression.

When Pageantry Changed Everything

Two years into her fashion journey, Shalom entered pageantry — without fully realizing how profoundly it would shape her life.

Winning Miss Uganda North America and Miss Africa Washington State brought visibility to her fashion brand and opened doors she had never imagined. More importantly, it transformed her confidence.

As a dark-skinned African woman far from home, navigating creative industries shaped by Western beauty standards was not easy. Pageantry gave her the courage to take up space, to be seen, and to believe — deeply — that she belonged.

Designing With Roots and Intention

Over the years, Shalom has showcased her work at Bellevue Fashion Week, North America Fashion Week, Africa Fashion Week Seattle, and beyond. Her designs are known for their vibrant colors and richly textured textiles, many of which she sources directly from Uganda, keeping her work intimately connected to her heritage.

Every garment tells a story — not just of fashion, but of identity, culture, and origin.

When Art Entered the Conversation

During the pandemic, Shalom stepped back from fashion design — and found herself pulled toward another creative language: painting.

She began creating mixed-media artworks, using the same Ugandan textiles found in her garments. These pieces are surreal, emotional, and layered — visual explorations of the human experience that feel both personal and universal.

Since emerging from lockdown, her artwork has been exhibited publicly, with a current exhibition on display at the City of Lakewood Town Hall.

Letting Every Chapter Belong

Today, fashion and art exist side by side in Shalom’s creative practice, constantly informing and inspiring one another. Whether she’s designing a garment or creating a painting, she draws from the same well: culture, emotion, identity, and storytelling.

Standing behind the scenes, dressing pageant queens as a designer, was a reminder that growth doesn’t require leaving parts of yourself behind.

It means allowing them to evolve — together.

Connect with Shalom Aburu

🌍 Designer | Artist | Former Pageant Queen🌐 Website: shalomaburu.com📸 Social: @shalomaburu (Instagram & TikTok)

A Note from Sage + Soul

This post is from a shoot organized by Lilia Ahearn (talented model, familmaker, photographer, and artist), honoring women whose stories move fluidly across seasons, mediums, and identities.

Your past isn’t something to outgrow — it’s something to build from.