Premiere Fashion week to showcase vogue trends

The National Gallery of Zimbabwe is hosting the Zimbabwe Fashion Week next month. The event is similar to the popular fashion weeks hosted internationally in countries such as South Africa, France, United States and the United Kingdom.

“Fashion weeks are used as reference points by fashion buyers, department stores, glossy magazines and everyday fashion enthusiasts to see what they can put together in their wardrobes for the next season,” said the Zimbabwe Fashion Week Communications Officer, Onai Abote.

Abote said that the fashion week is going to be a local platform that is proudly Zimbabwean, aimed at creating a definitive voice in fashion, on the continent and in the world. The fashion week team is currently identifying talent from aspiring and established designers who will have to produce collections that will set autumn and winter 2011 trends.

The Zimbabwe Fashion Week was created by Priscilla Chigariro, an internationally recognised catwalk and photographic model who began her career in year 2000 when she grabbed the Super Face title at the ZimSun Hotel’s Supermodel search, which led her to the Face of Africa competition the following year.

“Priscilla believes that it is about time Zimbabweans create a self-sustaining fashion-conscious nerve centre, with the guidance of a well-informed group of local designers,” said Abote. This event is the first fashion week event ever to be hosted in Zimbabwe including internationally acclaimed designers like Pierre Talamon of France, Mahdai Hindi of Jordan/France, Rui Lopes of Angola and UK-based Zimbabwean, Evelyn Lambert to mention a few.

Locally-made designs will include Chrome by Priscilla Chigariro, Zuva by Joyce Chimanye and Alpharose by Yvonne Watadza.

“The Fashion Week will show the local talent that we have and show how the country is picking itself up and moving despite political events that ripped Zimbabwe apart,” said Abote.

DStv’s Fashiontv crew is also expected to cover the event, fused with the best local and international designs for their station. The Zimbabwe Fashion Week extravaganza will run from July 28 to 31 courtesy of the British Council, African Sun and Make Up Forever from London.