SEPTEMBER is here and with it comes the weather heat and the countdown heat to the local Fashion industry’s main event; Zambia Fashion Week.
Save the dates; 15 to 17 of October and start saving up for the showcase which will be at Mulungushi International Conference Centre.
The current edition of Zambia Fashion Week (ZFW) has been running since 2011 headed by Karen Nakawala.
Karen describes the growth that ZFW has gone through from 11 designers in 2011 to 43 local designers and eight international designers from as far as the United Kingdom and Australia last year.
“It’s the biggest fashion show in the history of Zambian fashion but I can promise that it will get bigger and better every year.”
Globally fashion weeks are keenly watched not only to see the latest fashion trends but also to see the new fashion designers and models in the industry.
Karen attests to this:
“By taking part in the Zambia Fashion Week, designers open themselves up to various business opportunities such as collaborations which seem to be working very well for some.
Fashion shows give designers a platform to showcase their work and the catwalk remains the most logical place in which to show a collection and also to communicate their ideas to the market.”
She adds that ZFW helps a lot of designers get their big break especially if their pieces are creative and that it also increases their media presence.
It goes without saying that ZFW gives fashion designers and models an opportunity to grow their clientele despite emphasising that this must be coupled with consistency.
ZFW offers a great platform but there are some fashion designers who disappear after fashion shows and are only visible during fashion weeks which shouldn’t be the case.
Last year’s guest designer was the ‘count of couture’ Mustafa Hassanali and this year the organising team has kept the momentum by having David Tlale who already partnered with Karen to do a project called the intern and it has been going great according to many media reports and Davids social media pages.
David for those who might not know him is a South African designer extraordinaire (fine maybe am biased because he is one of my favourite designers). His designers are a classy mix of daring, femininity, sensuality and boldness.
He has been a fashion designer for over 11 years and has showcased at various fashion weeks and even done a collection for shops such as Edgars.
Of course this year we also expect to see our Zambian favourites who keep carrying the Zambian fashion torch high, both locally and internationally.
Designers such as Chola (Poleka), Towani (Kuthowa), Chiza (Esnoko), Chisoma (Chiz0)and all your favourite designers and labels in one roof.
It’s very exciting that the fashion and beauty industry is growing in Zambia and it is the duty of every Zambian to support the industry.
Buy local, dress local and support our heritage and local talent!
Our local designers are very creative and many are passionate about what they create as you should be too.
In the words of ZFW chairperson Karen: “I see Zambia Fashion Week as the hub of fashion in this region in the next five years and being compared to big shows such as Africa Fashion International, Mercedes Fashion Week, Swahili Fashion week and others but we need to work together to achieve this and it is not impossible.”
I co-sign this vison as you should too.
That’s it for this week, like my page Nancy Handabile and follow me on Twitter and Instagram @Arushapot.
Email me all queries to divadiarys@gmail.com and read past articles on divadiarys.blogspot.com.
Next week we will have instructions on how you can win a ticket to the Zambia Fashion week.
Ensure that you read the captions on the pictures below and then save the paper as the question will be given next week.
Stay beautifully healthy this week.