Miss World Zambia’s outfit expose Zambia’s designers to the world

Zambian fashion designers have been urged to […]

Zambian fashion designers have been urged to partner with local pageant queens as a strategy to gain international exposure and create new opportunities for their brands in the global fashion market.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times (ZBT), Ragged Different founder and Big Five Pageant Top 10 finalist Mulenga Mumba said local designers should take advantage of international pageants by collaborating with contestants representing Zambia.

Mumba said international pageants provide a powerful platform for designers to showcase Zambian fashion and creativity to audiences beyond the local market.

She pointed to Zambia’s recent performance at the on going Miss World competition, where the country’s representative Dr Adah Mushimbi (Miss world Zambia) reached the Top 12, as an indication of the potential for Zambian talent to compete on the global stage.

“It just shows that Zambia does have talent and we can actually produce at world standards,” Mumba said.

She encouraged designers to remain authentic to their craft while actively seeking partnerships with pageant queens preparing to represent Zambia internationally.

“Continue being original. Continue making sure they do collaborative efforts with candidates that are going to represent them internationally because that’s how you actually get your name out there,” she said.

According to Mumba, such collaborations can give designers valuable international visibility and potentially create opportunities for partnerships with global fashion brands.

Asked whether increased exposure could translate into contracts with international brands, she said the possibility remained open.

“We hope so. We do hope so,” she said.

Mumba also noted that Zambia’s modelling industry has become more confident and consistent in participating in international competitions compared with previous years.

“We are more confident, we are more aggressive, we are actually showing up as international candidates,” she said.

However, she said increased investment and financial support were needed to enable Zambian models to compete effectively at international level.

Mumba noted that models often require access to quality clothing, shoes and other essentials, adding that financial constraints, rather than a lack of talent, remain one of the challenges facing the industry.

She called on Zambians to support individuals representing the country on international platforms, while urging greater collaboration among local creatives to strengthen the country’s presence in the global fashion industry.

Mumba said originality, authenticity and a more deliberate approach to presenting Zambian talent internationally would be critical to achieving greater recognition.

“Remaining original, remaining authentic and being aggressive about our approach when it comes to presenting ourselves on the world stage” was important, she said.

She added that stronger collaboration among designers, models and other creatives would be key to ensuring that Zambian fashion and products gain greater international recognition.

Article by Karen Ngulube