Online Reporter
Gift Moyo [email protected]
When Miss Supranational Zimbabwe 2026 Nicole Nyawera stepped onto the international stage in Poland wearing the breath-taking Bridal Veil Falls national costume, the world saw more than just a dress, it saw a story of Zimbabwean creativity, resilience and artistic excellence.
Behind the globally admired creation was fashion designer and founder of local fashion brand Ivhu Tribe, Jasper Mandizera, whose latest masterpiece has cemented his reputation as one of Africa’s most exciting emerging designers and earned him recognition as the “King of pageant couture”.
For Mandizera, the Bridal Veil Falls dress, inspired by the Bridal Veil Falls found in Chimanimani, Eastern Highlands, was not merely a garment, but a celebration of Zimbabwe’s natural beauty and a statement that local designers can compete on the world stage. Having previously designed striking national costumes for Miss Universe Zimbabwe pageant queens —Sakhile Dube’s “The
Soaring Eagle” inspired by the Zimbabwe Bird and the Great Zimbabwe ruins; and Lyshanda Moyas’ “Born of the Baobab, Forged in Flame” inspired by the great Boabab tree, Mandizera was no stranger to pushing creative boundaries.
However, the Bridal Veil Falls project presented a completely new challenge, transforming the beauty of Chimanimani’s iconic waterfall into a wearable work of art. With more than a decade of experience in fashion design, Mandizera understood that bringing such an ambitious vision to life would require patience, technical skill and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking.
Months of planning, experimentation and craftsmanship later, Nyawera’s appearance in Poland turned what many had considered impossible into a reality, with the dress capturing global attention and showcasing the power of African storytelling through fashion.
Reflecting on the overwhelming response to the creation, Mandizera said the recognition was a dream realised for him and his team at Ivhu Tribe.
“It feels like the moment we’ve been working towards. The Chimanimani Bridal Veil Dress going viral showed us that the world is ready for African stories told through fashion. As a designer, you pour your soul into a piece and hope that it connects.
“To see it celebrated globally, to see people fall in love with something that came from our hands in our Tribe, that’s everything. It tells me that authenticity is the new luxury and that Ivhu Tribe is just getting started,” he said.
The Bridal Veil Falls dress marked a first for Ivhu Tribe, requiring the team to explore new techniques to recreate the appearance of flowing water, mist, rocks and surrounding vegetation while ensuring that the costume remained practical for Nyawera to wear.
Mandizera described the process as both demanding and rewarding.
“It was a quiet, but very challenging masterpiece. The first version didn’t come out the way that we envisioned, so we had to redo it. The biggest challenge was making it look real, like mist and water, yet keeping it light enough for her to actually walk in. There were so many trials and errors.
“At Ivhu Tribe, we are a tribe of artisans. We sat down, did a lot of brainstorming, and poured everything into this project. Every stitch, every layer was intentional. In the end, the struggle is what made the dress special,” he said.
The idea for the costume came after Nyawera approached Mandizera with a design concept that had gained attention online. While the design had attracted admiration, it had also sparked debate, with some questioning whether a Zimbabwean designer could recreate such an intricate piece. Some social media users suggested that a project of that scale would require a designer from countries such as Nigeria or Ghana, but Nyawera chose to trust local talent.
Mandizera said the doubts surrounding Zimbabwean designers became the motivation to prove what could be achieved at home.
“The inspiration actually came with my client. She brought me a design that was going viral online. Someone had posted it and asked if we could find someone who could design and create something that specific.
“Most of the comments on the post said that it couldn’t be done in Zimbabwe. People were saying that we had to go to other countries such as Nigeria or Ghana to pull something like that off.
“But here’s the thing — designing something with AI and actually creating the dress are two very different worlds. The end result is tricky, you either pull it off or it goes horribly wrong because finding the right materials that work with the design is the real challenge. That doubt from people on social media is ultimately what pushed me to take on the project and we made it happen right here at Ivhu Tribe in Zimbabwe,” said Mandizera.
Creating an accurate representation of Bridal Veil Falls required the designer to approach the costume as a sculpture, carefully selecting materials that could capture the texture and appearance of the natural environment.
“We treated the whole piece like a sculpture. The rocks were made from refrigerator insulation foam, moulded with toilet tissue and glue to give them texture. Then we painted and sealed them to bring them to life. The dress is 100 percent cotton; breathable, strong, and perfect for holding the desired shape.
“For the tree, we used wire as the skeleton, then layered it with turf and moss,” Mandizera said.
“At Ivhu Tribe we believe in using what’s around us and transforming our surrounding resources into immaculate art. Nothing was wasted, everything had purpose,” he said.
Mandizera’s journey into fashion began more than a decade ago when he started experimenting with fabrics, sketches and ideas driven by imagination and passion.
His self-taught approach, coupled with determination and belief in his craft, eventually led to the birth of Ivhu Tribe in 2021, a brand built around celebrating Zimbabwean identity through fashion.
“Fashion has been in me for as long as I can remember. I started sketching and creating around 2013, playing with fabric in my bedroom, teaching myself, and dreaming big with nothing but passion. It took me years of hustling, learning, and believing.
“In 2021 I finally registered Ivhu Tribe and turned that dream into a brand. Getting into this profession wasn’t one moment, but rather a journey of choosing my heritage and choosing to tell Zimbabwean stories through clothing,” he said.
With the success of the Bridal Veil Falls costume adding to a growing list of achievements, Ivhu Tribe continues to establish itself as a force in Zimbabwean and African fashion.
Through creations worn by pageant queens such as Dube and Moyas and many other local personalities, Mandizera has consistently demonstrated innovation, craftsmanship and the ability to turn bold ideas into unforgettable designs.
