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AFRICA has a thriving contemporary art scene, with fashion and fabric design being a vital part of it and in that regard Bulawayo National Art Gallery in Bulawayo will on Friday temporarily become a house of African Queens courtesy of Umakoti Royal Bride exhibition show that will see models display various African clothing designs.
The models will showcase designs made by the duo of Nkanyeziyethu Malunga and Nomakhosazana Ncube who trades under the name Nkazana.
The exhibition is expected to highlight the interplay between regional preferences and cosmopolitanism that has long flourished on the continent, while highlighting the expansiveness of 21st century African-print fashion.
Malunga said the show is also aimed at celebrating women of Zimbabwe in the process redefining fashion through a cultural viewpoint
“We are celebrating fashion from a cultural perspective where we want to show women that they can ‘slay’ in their cultural attires,’ said Malunga, adding that one of the major aims of exhibition is to discourage body shaming as women of all sizes will be part of the models that will be showcasing the different clothing designs.
“We are different from all other fashion shows were only women of a certain body shape only take part. We will have women of all different shapes, we want the world to know that no matter the body size a lady can ‘slay’. It also comes as a lesson that cow and sheep hides should not be sidelined as a type of material that can be used for clothing like what the likes of King Lobengula and Mzilikazi used to do way back,” said Malunga.
She added: “Just like music, poetry and other displays of art are a definition of who we are, we also believe fashion defines who we are, that’s why we want to dress our women in royal African attires to showcase to the world that we are also royalty.”
So on Friday it will be a story of taste, globalisation, and style introducing the audience to the dynamic traditions of African dress.
Online Reporter