Bulawayo designers wow SADC Summit with recycled fashion creations

TWO Bulawayo designers, Bishop Felicia Phiri and Prisca Masukume, captured the attention of regional leaders with their innovative creations. Their dresses, made from recycled materials, were showcased at the recent SADC Summit in Harare under the Esteemed Business Women platform.

Phiri’s stunning lobola dress was crafted from used bin liners and incorporated the national fabric, while Masukume designed a unique lobola dress using recycled cardboard boxes. Their impressive designs caught the attention of President Mnangagwa, his Botswana counterpart President Masisi and King Mswati of Eswatini.

Responding to questions sent to her by the Saturday Chronicle, Phiri said she started designing at an early age and would enter Miss Teen beauty contests using the clothes that she designed. Coming from a family of artists and designers, Phiri said she used to watch her mother turn everything or anything around her into something useful. She said her mother would generate capital from nothing.

“My mother is my greatest inspiration. Having learnt a lot of her innovative skills, she made me believe in using God-given talents as she used to train us to use our hands and our brains,” said Phiri. “I remember she once made us raincoats from used milk papers and designed them so beautifully that no one could tell they were from used milk plastic containers.

“I’m highly humbled and honoured to have designed an eye-catching bin liners dress. Through my work as a Social Worker, I’m involved in many programmes, mostly dealing with relationship coaching. This has motivated me to design bridal wear, both lobola gowns and wedding gowns. Whenever I design a dress, it has a message behind it.”

Phiri said some messages are about teaching young brides how to dress as African cultured women, bringing out the beauty of an African woman and also how to relate with their in-laws. She said this piece of work that has attracted high offices has fuelled her to work harder on her designs, bringing out the best as she sees herself designing for top offices one day.

“I’d love to see myself travel to different countries to showcase my designs, build an empire in the fashion industry that will groom young women to take fashion designing seriously,” she said. “I have already started a training programme for young single mothers who want to learn dressmaking and designing.”

Masukume, who designed a dress using used cardboard boxes, is the founder and owner of Shongedza Fashions. Shongedza Fashions was born in 2014, but Masukume started designing in high school.

“My initial inspiration for designing was church. At the SADC Summit, the pangolin dress which I made out of cardboard boxes was the highlight of my designing skills. The attention and appreciation it received was overwhelming. Presidents and other important people from all over Africa were amazed by the design, such that they couldn’t get enough of watching the model who was showing it off.”

Phiri and Masukume revealed their future plans, stating that they want to nurture fashion and designing talents and empower single mothers with designing skills so that they can make a living. They also urged youths to take recycling seriously, saying that there is money in waste as it also promotes clean and safe environments.

In her comment, Esteemed Business Women founder Sipho Mazibuko said she wasn’t prepared for the way the President reacted to the creations, as well as the entire SADC Presidents and First Ladies.

“Our President couldn’t believe the plastic bin bag dress. He touched it to see if it was really plastic and asked how it was made, and I went into the dress’s construction details,” she said.

“King Mswati of Eswatini gave us an invitation to Eswatini on the spot. These designers’ creativity really amazed everyone. I am totally happy we made the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), who invited us, and the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, His Excellency our President Mnangagwa and Her Excellency Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa proud.” – @SikhulekelaniM1.