Designers fundraise for Dzaleka fashion
Six designers will take their creations to the Shalex Africa Fashion in Motion as part of activities to fundraise for the expansion of Dzaleka Refugee Camp fashion industry.
Event organiser Shadrack Ndonda, who trades under Shalex Designs, said in an interview yesterday that apart from trying to raise funds for Dzaleka fashion industry, the event is also about unlocking different talents from youths with special focus on fashion.
The fashion exhibition, which is slated for August 24 at Cuneco Fusion Café at Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, has attracted designers from Malawi, Zimbabwe, Congo, Zambia and Rwanda.
Ndonda said they aim to raise K1 million from the event.
He said the fashion collections, which will be on display on the day, include winter, casual, beach wear and night dress.
Ndonda said there will also be art and craft exhibition, dancing and music performances from Salama Africa, Branches Arts Dance Crew and Rwanda traditional dances.
“The project is about helping the communities around Dzaleka Refugee Camp. We want to bring together different designs so that at the end of the day everyone participating can have a moment to independently engage themselves on how they can grow individually,” he said.
Ndonda said they are also using the fashion show, which is happening for the second year, to inform and expand the market for the handcrafts and fashion creations which are made in the camp.
He said: “During the first event last year, some individuals contributed of clothes and food which was distributed to the people in the camp.”
Some of the designers expected at the show are Jacqueline Designs, Trela Fashions, Tandani Fashion, Akili Fashion and Shalex Designs.
Mwaona Tamapemba of Jacqueline Designs, who will parade her MJ Open Closet label for the second time on the platform, said her focus will be on men’s wear and women’s traditional outfits. “This is always a good platform for us designers. We also want to learn how our friends are doing it elsewhere,” she said.
