Year of creativity, fashion redefined

The synergies were so pronounced, the year was 2015 and as the curtain

falls, well, Malawi’s fashion landscape is ever evolving and coming into full circle.

Mzuzu-based company, Kwanza PR, made history in the just-ended year by hosting the first-ever Mzuzu Fashion Week at Grand Palace Hotel.

The fashion week gave a chance to designers, especially from the Northern Region not to only showcase their designs, but also create fashion brand awareness, visibility and recognition. Fashion is big business.

When fashion weeks are put together, it is a combination of creativity, glamour, memories and being a first, the fashion week received an impressive audience and many appreciated the activities which took place during the four days.

Internationally, according to The Economic Impact Of The Fashion Industry report, fashion is a 1.2 trillion dollar industry. It creates thousands of jobs a year and generates notable revenue.

No wonder, in New York City alone, which is considered the fashion capital of the world, the industry pays more than $11 billion in wages and generates about $2 billion in revenue annually.

The Mzuzu event was birthed with an overambitious dream of establishing the Northern Region city as Malawi’s leading fashion hub that will grow to be recognised internationally.

Since the opening to the final day, there was great zeal in the organisers and the designers as well as the audience, as fashionists came out in good numbers throughout and seemingly embraced the event.

From October 14 to 17, apart from the eight participants, the event inspired a new generation of fashion designers and entrepreneurs—individuals ready to use their skills to create jobs as well as products that may be exported, thereby generating revenue for the nation.

The year under review will be incomplete without the mention of teenage sensation designer, who sprung from nowhere, onto the scene to be Malawi’s next big thing to happen in the industry.

Creativity, attention to detail and finishing, among others, saw Tawile Kumsinda winning the Fashion Edition Malawi (Fame) up-and-coming designers’ contest in October.

At 14, Tawile is an established multi-talented wonderkind who so far is an eco-fashion designer, artist and environmentalist whose shot to the limelight is as a result of her expertise in self-taught seamstress.

It is worth noting that all the designers were unique in different ways, they were all full of ideas and put up much effort to come up with the designs. Though there was one winner, the event unearthed talent as one could tell that with much effort and emphasis to certain details, all the designers can reach up there.

The major gap was creativity which lucked in some of the designers as their pieces were ordinary—just plain, simple and straightforward.

In the past few years, Malawi has awoken to move with global trends in fashion.

For the second year running, Sand Festival hosted a fashion show which brought together up-and-coming fashion designers as well as two from elsewhere in Africa.

Eight local designers took turns to showcase their creations and were joined by Kasonde Nkole from Zambia and Ghana’s former BBA representative and designer, MamBea, born Beatrice Buabeng Oppong.

Under the theme ‘Love Local’, if the designs are anything to go by, Malawi’s couture trends arguably made one big upward curve when the dust settled.

Male accessories gave a modern twist on stylishly tailored casual suits and shorts. An open, sleeveless, boldly checked red shirt sauntered down the catwalk, concluding a fun collection. Some designs though seemed not fully done or lacked a perfect tailor finish.

And then there was the Malawi Fashion Weekend in Lilongwe where three

designers were enough to dazzle the hungry and enchanted fashion savvy minds.

They showcased chic but affordable clothing in Malawi whose fledgling fashion industry continues to make steady steps. Malawi met Ghana on the runway in this rare fashion event, as Accra-based celebrated actor John Dumelo, showcased his J. Melo fashion line.

On the international scene, Malawi returned into fashion reviews, as it’s Ghana-based designer, Alinafe Naphu Misomali represented Ghana at the 2015 Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) Fashion Week.

Although the fast rising fashion designer represented Ghana—one of the fashion powerhouses on the continent—her designs, as usual, epitomised Malawi.

Closer home, Malawi’s arguably top model, Thembi Zimba graced the ramp in Lusaka for the Zambia Fashion Week. The leggy damsel was among scores of African models who were part of the biggest fashion event in Zambia.

Birmingham-based Malawian stylist and fashion designer Dama Phiri was decorated as the best fashion designer of the year in the Black Entertainment, Film, Fashion, Television, Arts (Befta). She beat 42 equally good designers from established industries in countries such as Ghana and Nigeria.

Phiri’s win is probably one of the biggest for Malawi’s growing fashion industry as it marks yet another chapter in designing. It truly represents the efforts that Malawian fashion designers are making as well as impacting on the global fashion trends with the hope of being recognised as one of the fashion hubs.

Damas Fashions as Phiri’s designs are known in the UK, are one of the trending designs amongst Malawians and even people from other parts of the world.

Malawi fashion industry has gradually outgrown the borders of the country and is steadily competing with other international fashion industries.

Once again, Malawians sampled what local designers can make and surely, new designers have been exposed. The year just beginning will definitely be a bang!