Since December 2025, the name Kalu Putic has been shaking up the fashion world on social media. Originally from Addis Ababa, this 14-year-old Ethiopian has established himself in just five months as the new social media sensation. His talent for creating outfits from worn clothing and waste has astonished the world and earned him over five million followers across TikTok and Instagram.

"Creative and authentic"—that's how internet users describe the work of the young "prodigy." Facing the camera, alone, barefoot on a dirt floor, Kalu Putic transforms the unusual. A brick wall in the background, worn shoes hung like trophies: this is his workshop. There, he cuts, assembles, and sews. Plastic bags become bustiers. Ripped jeans are reborn as sculptural jackets. All of this is set to music from around the world.

The "Khaby Blade" of haute couture?

The comparison is flying in the Ethiopian media. Like the Senegalese-Italian who became a global icon without uttering a word, Kalu Putic remains silent. No interviews, just gestures, a vision. And it's working. American star Jaden Smith himself shared one of his creations in his Instagram story. Fan accounts are already imagining him walking the runways of Paris or Milan.

His first video was posted in December 2025. Today, he boasts 4,300,000 followers on Instagram and 1,300,000 on TikTok. A meteoric rise, born from the streets, fueled by a generation that celebrates upcycling, ingenuity, and a rejection of waste.

However, according to many internet users, Kalu Putic doesn't sell clothes. He tells a story. The story of a creative, resourceful Africa that imposes its aesthetic on the world without asking permission.

https://www.tiktok.com/@kalu.putic?_r=1&_t=ZS-96C7EGmrBZM

https://www.instagram.com/kaluputics?igsh=YW9tb3JmYWhvOTAy