Local models head to regional fashion show

Four Malawian models, Thembi Zimba, Harry Kazembe, Peggy Mwanguku and Michael Kazembe, are set to rock the runway at the Southern Africa Fashion Week, a baby of the Southern Africa Fashion Conference (SAFC).

SAFC is a project with a vision of youth development, skills training and showcasing talents by young people who are interested in fashion designing, fashion journalism, modelling, hair styling and becoming make-up artists.

It aims to give young people an opportunity to showcase their skills, promote their brands, be taught, mentored and inspired regardless of their background.

“The main reason for extending to other parts of the region is to have African countries represented under the fashion show with the object to create a diverse way of communicating and being able to speak with the same voice when it comes to the fashion industry but not forgetting the southern African countries,” explained Paris Makaringe, the organisation’s marketing and communications director in an interview.

He said 25 female and 15 male models and 30 designers drawn from Tanzania, Zambia, Lesotho, South Africa, Uganda, Swaziland and Malawi will meet at an event to run from April 30 to May 4 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“Malawi will be represented by four designers whose names will be known by the end of this week. In the near future, we also hope to host our fashion week in all African countries,” explained Makaringe.

The news has excited the models who are going to participate at the event.

“I am overwhelmed. I am actually being trained as a runway model by an international model to make me ready for this ramp and super excited that I will rock it. I will carry the warm heart I have as a Malawian and act in a way that is contrary to just being a fashion model, but a true Malawian, who is humble and warm,” said Zimba.

Michael Kazembe added: “It does feel really great. It is what I have dreamt of. It is a huge step I was waiting for to take in my career. I want to showcase to other countries that there is talent in our country. And we also can do what other countries do in terms of modelling. After that event, Malawi would have left a mark and will be acknowledged.”

Apart from the fashion week, the event will also showcase a fashion conference, township fashion parties, urban fashion parties, hair styling competition, Miss SAFC and Miss Teen SAFC contests.