OVER the years African motifs, prints and textiles have reappeared on the international fashion scene. Fashion houses and designers such as Diane von Fustenburg (DVF) and Burberry produced collections influenced by the various cultures and landscapes found in Africa. Even the US First Lady, Michelle Obama, was photographed on numerous occasions wearing the African-influenced designs of Nigerian designer Duro Oluwa.
African fashion entrepreneurs who are based in Africa are using regional and continental expos to showcase and sell their brands. South Africa’s Fashion Week events have been highly publicised, but neighbouring countries Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe are hosting their own Fashion Week events in order to accommodate and encourage the local talent and industry.
African wear is making big waves internationally. Ethnic wear is not just about using African print fabric when making garments, but the ability to incorporate latest trends onto existing cultural garments. It’s not a skill that most designers have, it takes great talent to produce internationally recognised garments. Zimbabwean fashion designers are climbing the ladder in the fashion industry.
Last week at the Bulawayo Polytechnic’s annual fashion show, a young up-and-coming ethnic designer stood out. Sibongile Mavasa! She showcased a collection of 10 outfits, for both men and women. Sibongile affectionately known as Sibo to her classmates was the star of the show, as she is the only student who incorporated African print fabric with rexine and pleather, making her style different. The label is entitled Sibs.
The Bulawayo-based fashion designer describes her style as elegant, classy and comfortable. The outfits were a modification of cultural wear in order to cater for those who still want to remain chic with a touch of African too. The latest trends were applied on the garments and the construction was on point. Exaggerated details on the clothes such as a huge collars, ridiculous flares on skirts, made the looks dramatic and creative.
Her interest in fashion design began when she was a student at Mufakose High School in Triangle. After completing high school, she enrolled at Bulawayo Polytechnic where she has completed her Diploma in Fashion Design. Throughout her studies at Bulawayo Polytechnic she participated in competitions such as TIFAZ, RIO and Clothing Indaba. She has had the pleasure of working for Ticos clothing company. Her designs are unique and original, the exaggerations on them are her signature.
Sibongile specialises in ethnic garments for weddings, fashion shows and exhibitions. For more details email her on: sibongilemavasa32@gmail.com. Let’s support local talent so that our fashion designers can reach international levels as well.
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