Nigerian beckons condom designer
Malawi’s fashion industry continues to make an upward surge if the international invitations for local designers are anything to go by.
While at the end of this month, five designers head to South Africa for the third Southern Africa Fashion Week, another call has come for designer Godfrey Kambewa to represent Malawi join hundreds of other designers from across the world for the 2014 Global Fashion Week and Awards scheduled for August 25 to 30 at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in the Nigerian capital Abuja.
“This is exciting news for me and my country. To me, the invitation means there is something that Malawi is doing right. I am hoping that other young designers also get invited so that we raise the Malawi banner together,” said Kambewa.
While expenses in Nigeria have been covered by the organisers, the designer is to meet travel costs to and from Abuja.
“I am not entirely in a position to raise funds for my trip, but I will have a show in Lilongwe and hope to raise finances for the same. Currentl,y I have enough for the collection I am taking to be made professionally. But I am confident that a door will open soon,” he said.
Kambewa started designing four years ago and this will be the first time that he will showcase his couture skills outside Malawi.
“I started designing four years ago with advice from my friend Augustine Mwalwimba. The collection I am taking is a men’s line. I am doing monochrome jackets, waistcoats and accessories with chitenje accents.
“They are for the working class or for young professionals and anyone who wants to look like royalty. All our clients are treated as royalty. So our garments are made for kings,” he said.
He added: “I have done a number of local shows. I was the brains behind the condom couture two years ago which toured six colleges. I have opened shows for Malawian designers such as Lilly Alfonso, Joy Nyirongo of Irene Doug, Mandingo by Ella Chirwa and designer Tawina Chisi”.
