Chronicle Editor
Sikhulekelani Moyo,[email protected]
Fascinators are not just accessories, they are essential for a woman’s outfit. That is the belief of Fungayi Ngwenya, also known as Andile, the founder and owner of Andileroyalhats, a fashion brand that specialises in designing, producing and selling fascinators in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
A fascinator is a formal headpiece that is usually a large decorative design attached to a band or clip. Unlike a hat, its function is purely ornamental.
Fascinators have a long history of being associated with royalty and nobility, but they have also gone through periods of decline and revival.
In recent years, fascinators have become more popular and trendy, especially for women’s events that require a dress code. Ngwenya, who started as a hat designer in South Africa, has tapped into this demand and created her own unique and dramatic designs that have attracted many customers, both locally and internationally.
In a recent interview, Ngwenya said wearing a fascinator or a hat adds dignity and elegance to a woman, especially when attending events like weddings, church services, and other formal occasions.
“If you are a woman attending an event without a hat or a fascinator, you are not completely dressed, you still need to wear a fascinator. Back then, fascinators were worn by royals or rich people but now it’s good because anyone can afford it, so I’m urging women to put on a final outfit when dressed for an event,” she said.
She also said that as a fashion designer, she strives to create designs that are unique and match the needs of her customers, who are mostly women.
She thanked them for their support and promised to continue delivering quality products.
“Women are supportive especially if you come up with designs that match their needs. As a woman I also understand what women want and I want to thank all the ladies for being supportive, I promise that Andileroyalhats will be doing wonders to meet women’s needs when it comes to fascinators,” said Ngwenya.
Ngwenya has also used social media platforms to market her brand and reach out to customers in other countries, such as Dubai, United States of America and many others. She said she was proud of her achievements and hoped to grow her business even more.
Her brand gained more recognition last week when some of her clients wore her fascinators for an awards event held during the weekend. One of the clients, Sipho Mazibuko, said many people, including high-profile individuals, asked her about the fascinators and praised them.
Ngwenya said she was motivated by this feedback and realised that she had been operating in a silo for a long time, with few people knowing about her business, especially well-known businesspeople. She said she was looking forward to dressing more influential people in Zimbabwe and abroad, such as ministers, popular businesswomen and other high-profile people.
“From the beginning when Mazibuko said I want a fascinator, I asked myself if I’ll be able to dress such a popular businesswoman but I managed to produce something she wanted, and I’m now looking forward to dress Minister of Industry and Commerce Dr Sithembiso Nyoni one of the days,” she said.
She also said she did not expect to grow so fast, as she started working from home, but due to the motivation from other women, she moved to town and opened her own shop. She said she was grateful for the opportunity and the support she received.
Mazibuko also commended Ngwenya for her growth and her talent. She said Ngwenya even participated in the Matabeleland North Miss Rural provincial finals as a designer and won the competition, beating clothing designers at their game with her fascinators.
“To women like Andile I say hold on to your hustles no matter how tough the start-up may be. It’s always not easy to establish a brand. Andile has broken that hurdle. I gave her a huge chance when I wore her fascinator to the Megafest Awards last week. My fascinator turned every head and women wanted Andile’s contacts. The pictures I posted wearing the fascinator went viral even women in Harare want the fascinator,” she said.
Mazibuko added that women should seek capital funding from relevant ministries because it’s available collateral-free especially at the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development.
“I got funding from there. Women should get their ducks in a row and know what niche to get into. Don’t do a business that is already flooded. Look at Andile, she’s the only one in Bulawayo with such fascinators.
“She obviously studied the market and found her niche which was fascinators. So ladies find something unique and do it,” said Mazibuko.
“We all can’t sell clothes and wigs, let’s be innovative. That’s my two cents of advice that has taught me this in business. Now I am winning top awards like the Megafest Awards for my wedding venue Lavinia Gardens because my venue is different from all the others. It’s unique, it got me noticed by the Megafest Awards at just years old because I am always reinventing myself to suit the current economic situation. Never go against the flow ladies.”–@SikhulekelaniM1
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