Fashion Weekend Zimbabwe events lineup

Fashion Weekend lineup events to be held at Rungano Rwedu at Arundel events calendar are out

That is the program,

Robin

BARGAIN ALERT: @HausOfStone FINAL clearance of OTHA collection

FIRST AND FOREMOST… this is not a PRANK!!!

HOS

We Love Haus of Stone and their popular collection is stopping further production, so to give way to the new, they are having a BUY ONE GET ONE FREE sale, here are the fool  FULL details

@Ms_DeMOYO now available at #TRUWORTHS Sam Levy’s Village in Harare

HARARE, Borrowdale – 30th of May at Truworths at Sam Levy’s Zimbabwean 14 year old fashion brand, DeMOYO was launched as one of the brands sold in the store.

FASHION WEEKEND ZIMBABWE 2014: Emerging Designer Talents!

FWZ is a Food, Music, Fashion event, that launched last year in 2013. Partnerships with TRUWORTHS, Clothing Manufacturing Assosciation, EU, Culture Fund it was a highly supported initiative started by a Zimbabwean female entrepreneur Shamiso Ruzvidzo.

Fashion Weekend Zimbabwe 2014

The emerging designers from last year received a training program and the opportunity to launch a mainstream mass market collection as part of the prizes. Even the other finalists had an opportunity to be recognised, the winner was Samantha Matemadombo and finalists became even more popular.

THIS YEAR is no different and the finalists names are out! The Aim is to ensure each designer receives the correct skills training and mentorship as a base to start a business, that is accessible and relevant to the local and international consumer.

The Top 6 2014 Emerging Designers are:

1. Sheilah Lena Dhliwayo
Brand Name: Sheilah Dhliwayo
City: Harare

2. Bridget Minenhle Nyathi
Brand Name: Brie’s Fashions
City: Harare

3. Tanaka Leroy Samukange
Brand Name: 7.30
City: Harare

4. Thandiwe Mguquka
Brand Name: Thandiwe Couture
City: Harare

5. Margaret Jani
Brand Name: Paras by Maggi
City: Marondera

6. Tanaka Davidson Ndawona
Brand Name: Afro Kreative
City: Harare

The selected designers will begin their Designer Development Programme on the 27th June until the 19th September 2014 at Alliance Française de Harare.

They will be working with Design, Visual and Finance Mentors to build skills that will equip them to open or run businesses in the Fashion Industry.

Exciting stuff, wishing the emerging designer success in their journeys

Everybody #Fashion Talking about #DeMOYO by @Ms_DeMoyo

As I was reading a previous issue of JEWEL magazine, the cover with Candice featured Paidamoyo the designer of DeMoyo. So I remember her having shown at the JEWEL magazine/US Embassy fashion show which was part of a farewell event for an US media delegate.

#YouMustKnow #Zimbabwe Fashion Designer @IntisaarM

The designer who dressed the fashion savvy Shingai Shoniwa for JEWEL MAGAZINE is Intisaar Mukadam-Umerji, designer of IntisaarM Designs. She creates bold pieces, with interesting mixtures of shape, colour, texture and movement. Bold and out of the box designs and true to ethnic vibes.

The brand stocks on South Africa’s STYLE36 and NOTJUSTALABEL.COM. She did not show at this year’s ZFW but will be showing at the Fashion Weekend Zimbabwe Gala and give us that dose of IntisaarM. She was in the top designers that showcased under ZImbabwe Fashion Week showcase at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week 2012 last year, making her show one of the most anticipated ones this year.

Shingai Shoniwa, cover of JEWEL wearing IntisaarM

SDR Photo

SDR Photo

SDR Photo

She has a website and a TUMBLR account go to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/IntisaarMDesigns

Am yet to get me some of that colourful brilliance!

Peace and Love

Robin

Meet the #FashionWeekendZim Emerging Designers @FWZ013

Fashion Weekend Zimbabwe has a young designer programme prior to the show for the top young designer to win a sponsorship to launch their brand.

These are the emerging designers!

Here are their shortened profiles from the press release (I cut some chunks of text):

Nyasha Clesby Nhutsve, NhembeAleth

Nyasha Nhutsve is a Zimbabwean Emerging Designer behind the brand NhembeAleth. NhembeAleth is a brand for the modern, sophisticated African who seeks to make their stamp in the world.

Samantha Natasha Matemadombo, Identite Noire

Samantha Matemadombo is a 21 year old Zimbabwean Emerging Designer behind the brand Identite Noire.Identite Noire is aunique African fusion of Fine Art meets Fashion Design, inspired by the everyday life and vibrancy of the African continent.

Samantha Dika, Esdea Couture

Samantha Dika is a 25 year old Zimbabwean Emerging Designer behind the brand Esdea Couture. Established in 2008, Esdea Couture designs Clothes and Accessories that are custom made to fit your Body and Personal Style.

Natasha Kagoro, Black Excellence

Natasha Kagoro is a 28 year old Zimbabwean Emerging Designer behind the brand Black Excellence. Simplistic Elegance with Edge and Style – Black Excellence is for that strong willed woman who wants to take over the world.

Takudzwa Edmond Chikumbirke, House of Azalion

Takudzwa Edmond Chikumbirke is an 18 year old male from Bindura. His brand House of Azalion is an Edgy, Classic and Elegant Label with vintage inspiration on modern designs. Making the best out of creativity.

Tanya Mushayi, Tanya Nefertari

Tanya Nefertari is a label for people who want to feel and be treated like royalty,who do not necessarily follow fashion trends but are able to express their own individual style & regal elegance. 

These are the participants, I wonder what happened to the young St. Dominics Upper 6 duo that was in the top, good luck to the designers we wish them the best!

FWZ poster

Peace and Love

Robin

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UPDATE: Samantha won as the emerging designer of the designer competition

#ZimbabweanFashion Industry: 2012, 2013 and Opportunities

This past week was Social Media Week in Lagos. A week long conference held in Lagos on a wide range of issues. Luckily the fashion discussions were done online with topics from Blogging, Collaborations, Business of Fashion in Africa etc. It got me thinking even more about the absence of a footprint by Zimbabwean fashion people, designers, bloggers etc. It is unfortunate that the world sees Zimbabwe as an exotic land, beautiful tourist site and have not recognized the talent hailing from the beautiful land.

So basically this article is all about showing where Zimbabwe Fashion Industry stands at the moment:

2012 – Year of great advancements

This past year was a year of great improvements in the industry. This is mostly mainstream news and issues that were made public and available.

• Jewel Magazine – Jewel Magazine owned by the Mutendis turned a year old, a glossy magazine with a focus on fashion. The magazine became a prominent sponsor of fashion events and collaborations that year as well. Jewel Magazine sponsored Catherine Ruze Launch party at Meikles (Which I was not invited to…mxm *rolls eyes*); Farai Simoyi Pop Up shop and the Styled By Africa blog’s garden party to mention a few. Recently has been featuring Zimbabwean designer clothes on the cover. Shingai Shoniwa wearing IntisaarM designs and with Tinopona Katsande wearing House of Alpha Rose, however there should be more announcements on these details.
  

  Jewel Magazine Zimbabwe’s glossy, ft. Shingai Shoniwa wearing IntisaarM clothing in the magazine and cover.

• Zimbabwe Fashion Week – This event with the help of Simon Deiner was now in the public eye with the photographs. I am not sure if David Tlale’s collection showing helped the publicity of the event as well. This event was then given a slot to show at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week AFRICA 2012.
  

  Zimbabwe Fashion Week 2013

• Business of Fashion Forum – This really helped people in the fashion industry to see where we stand. The problem however is that it was sponsored by a diasporan designer without any local designers putting in their part. Another issue is that the current structures in place at the moment do not hold ground to run a robust industry. This however was an important time to reflect on our current situation to make viable changes.
  

  2012 saw the launch of international designer Farai Simoyi in Harare.

2013 – Opportunities and Possibilities

A lot of talented designers are present in Zimbabwe with Joyce Chimanye showing at various shows in Africa; Evelyn Lambert based in  the U.S showing at Essence’s Harlem Front Row and Farai Simoyi based in the U.S winning a designer of the year award as well. I also have met a lot of designers who have won awards during their youth for creativity just looking for the industry to be conducive enough to attract investors. These are a few areas of concern I saw as an observer.

1. This year, 2013, Catherine Ruze is going to have Fashion Weekend Zimbabwe first weekend of November. So this is another solution is to have fashion events and organize them for ourselves. However the lookbook pictures taken restrict use of bloggers to use them on their sites to make it globally viral.
2. Designers need to come together and realize that they need to make this environment work. Opening shop is difficult, but one needs to have a stockist that is not the “I can custom make”, to be of a good standard. This means there is a need for a retailer or a company to sell designer clothes as well as councils that speak to designers on their challenges.
3. Investment in social media partnerships. The bloggers, PR strategists and etc need to be a priority for designers. They should have a website and appear on the internet on many platforms. This helps in the new age of digital media.
4. More interaction between designers in Zimbabwe and the world to bounce of ideas. Having Live Google Hangout meetings to discuss current affairs and link with other African designers in many parts of the world.
5. More critical review of output is needed. It is one thing to launch a brand and get it in media. Quality control on the current state of affairs is needed. This means inadequacies with a make-up product, weave hair, magazine quality, event production and how fashion officials coordinate themselves need to addressed. This means that there needs to be more control on how fashion events are run so as to not deter sponsors. There needs to be a way in which quality of a product is reviewed versus it sponsoring advertising rights without a monitoring system on its quality on an international baseline. Shortcuts, rudeness, corrupt business conduct and other unethical unprofessional attitudes should not be tolerated.
6. At the moment, only a few fashion houses have revealed their social responsibility projects. Zuvva has mentioned on their site that they support a charity cause. Ndau Collection has an anti poaching collection as well. Perhaps if fashion officials added to better society in Zimbabwe more, fashion will be recognised as an industry that helps Zimbabwean Society. Fashion needs to also fulfill social and environmental duties to society so it can gain the well deserved recognition.
   

   Zuvva by Joyce Chimanye at MBFWAfrica 2012 (SDR Photo) Has social responsibility cause to its brand.

   

   Mozambican coin mould Silver Sterling piece – Ndau Collection Anti Poaching Collection

So many opportunities and areas that need to be improved. New innovative ways to get Zimbabwe on the social map. We are a very literate nation and we have the potential and umphh. So the challenge to all of us is to really make our mark, Tanzania/Kenya/Namibia/South Africa/Ghana and a lot of Nigeria have made their mark in their number, it’s time fo ZIMBABWE.

robin 🙂

Disclaimer: Robin is not affiliated with a fashion brand that influences her views. She is not a designer and her views come from her blogging since 2011. She is in no way an expert in her opinion and is merely expressing her ideas to be an advocate for fashion media literacy. Questions and comments after article.