Malawian fashion designer Chisomo Chavula says she is ready to take her work to New York and Milan after finishing second in the Best Runway Collection Designer category at CMG Paris Fashion Week in France.
She is now expected to attend New York Fashion Week in the United States of America and later travel to Milan, Italy, following her second-place finish at the CMG Paris Fashion Week.
Chavula was among international designers who showcased their collections in Paris where she represented Malawi through her Chicha Fashions brand.
She was the only African designer in the competition.
Speaking in an interview, Chavula said she was excited and felt encouraged by the achievement as she did not expect to finish among the top designers.
“I am so excited. I did not expect to come second, considering that there were international designers. This shows that Malawi is making a statement globally,” she said.
Chavula qualified for the Paris event through the Mzinda Lifestyle Fashion Show and will proceed to CMG New York Fashion Week before travelling to Milan for a similar event.
She said she wants to work with other Malawian designers, particularly emerging talents, to create opportunities for local fashion brands to showcase at the international platform.
“I am ready and looking forward to seeing other designers accompany me so that we can use these opportunities to tell the Malawi story on these platforms,” she said.
Mzinda Lifestyle spokesperson Edwin Chonde said Chavula’s second-place finish is a significant achievement for the country’s fashion industry.
He said Chavula’s performance shows that Malawian talent can compete on the global stage and that Malawi fashion has found its way into the global fashion world.
“We are excited as Mzinda Lifestyle, we are saying we can do it. It is not easy, but this shows that it is doable and we can put Malawi on the map through fashion,” he said.
