Zimbabwe's First Fashion Week

Internationally recognized catwalk and photographic model Priscilla Chigariros’ long dream of giving back her fashion and modelling gift to her birth country and establishing a solid fashion platform from which to spring off new design talent has finally come to fruition. The Zimbabwe Fashion week media launch takes place on Thurday 26th November 2009 at FTV Café Village Walk in Sandton, with the after party taking place at Moloko where fashion industries doyens, celebrities and beautiful people will be in attendance. The South African launch is to give fashionistas, socialites and business people who a taste of what is to come when the official launch takes place early 2010 in Harare.

Priscilla who is the sole owner and executive producer of the week-long spectacle, has ten years experience as a professional model boasting a career that started with her clinching the 'Super face' title of 2000 in the annual Supermodel search run by Zimbabwe Sun Hotels. This title made her the automatic runner up to represent Zimbabwe in the Face Of Africa competition the following year. To date Priscilla has worked on campaigns, advertisements and shows like the Vukani Fashion Award Show, SA Fashion Week, Guess Jeans, Virgin Mobile, Coca Cola lite. She has done shoots in publications such as Destiny Magazine, True Love, Elle Magazine, Cosmopolitan and Y Mag.

Priscilla was 18 when she won a contract to model in South Africa which she only took up in 2001. She says "I have since modelled in Paris, France, Milan, Barcelona, Spain and South Africa. 10 years later I decided modelling was not the only challenge I wanted to conquer, I also wanted leave an indelible mark on the African fashion scene hence the decision to host Zimbabwe Fashion Week. Along the way I have picked up many skills and developed many talents, namely Interior design, Project Management and Administrative skills. All of these I feel will contribute greatly to the successful execution of this project."

Chigariro went on to say "I created a clothing and accessories brand and realized there was no platform in Zimbabwe for me to show my products so I decided to do something about it. Fashion weeks all over the world have launched the careers of countless designers worldwide and created industries where previously there were none. I believe that there is a lot of talent in Zimbabwe that is only stifled by a lack of a platform such as this one."

The participating designers at Zimbabwe Fashion week will each be expected to present a comprehensive collection of at least 12 garments. A competition for up and coming designers will be integrated as part of the fashion week festivities and this is to new designers to the world of the established and successful a definite cocktail for inspiration and sharing of ideas. It is during this event that Priscilla will also be unveiling her collection CHROME.

If aspirant designers want to enter the competition, the model and future mogul has some advice : "The judges will be looking for originality as well as innovativeness. It is important to realise the world is going through a lot economically as well as environmentally. They will be looking for designers that are aware of all these factors and how they translate them in their designs and fabric choices."

The event is aimed at rekindling the fashion flair that characterized Zimbabwe before the economic melt own and as signs of economic growth and investment opportunities continue to flicker, there could not be a better time than right now to introduce Zimbabwe Fashion Week and kick start the vehicle of re-construction. Chigariro does not want to position Zimbabwe Fashion Week as a strictly Zimbabwean event but is also finalizing a list of industry heavyweights from South Africa who will be guest judges and also present their collections to emphasise the spirit of oneness as designers and

The shows will take place over a three-day period kicking off on a Thursday and culminating in the finale on Saturday night. The exhibition hall will be open from mid day till the last show in the evening.

On the last night, a gala evening will be held. The evening, will be limited to couture designers. In keeping with the décor style for the evening, Thursday and Friday will be divided between young designers as well as more ethnic designers. Exhibition Stands and advertising for fashion related products and services would be present for the duration. There will be model scouts on the evening. Six Zimbabwean models currently working the ramps and fashion pages in South Africa will grace the event. One of the judges for this competition will be Karl Dorn who is the Boss Fashions agency leader.

The Zimbabwean fashion industry flourished so much in the mid to late 90s with key names like Creed Katsande, Sonny of Savor Makolinsky and David Gwaze who specialized in the Savile Row tailor made suits and grace the prestigious Supermodel event annually. New school names like Brenda Sibanda and Peter Rakubva took the spotlight in the early 2000s hence the spirit of a fashion conscious and dynamic society never really died. This why there is an optimism and confidence on bringing a focus to Ziimbabwe, a country blessed with a collage of successful catwalk stories like Jonathan Denga, Langa Sibanda, Lenah Zinyama, Rachel Stuart, Debbie Jones and Priscilla herself.

For news and event updates around the Zimbabwe Fashion Week project, please visit www.zimbabwefashionweek.com.