The Zimbabwe Fashion Week Trust has brought streetwear fashion to the fore with the official announcement of designers for the inaugural re-FASHION Accelerator.
The re-FASHION Accelerator is a first of its kind in Zimbabwean fashion; designed to help young streetwear designers grow their craft and refine their skills, whilst providing valuable insights from industry professionals. The programme is a collaboration between the Zimbabwe Fashion Week Trust, PC Foundation and Entre Academy. The Trust initially planned to select just three designers for the Accelerator, but due to the overwhelming response from applicants; they ended up settling for six designers.
The six designers will undergo an intense six-week training course facilitated by Entre Academy that is scheduled to start on September 2. They will then get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase their designs at the 2024 edition of the Zimbabwe Fashion Week set for 16 to 20 October in Victoria Falls.
In addition to the Accelerator, the six will also receive complimentary membership into the Hunhu Council of Fashion. The Hunhu Council of Fashion is yet another Trust initiative that seeks to bring together players in Zimbabwean fashion towards the common goal of developing the industry.
Amongst the six is Tashinga Chigombe of Yet Galore, who was part of the 2023 edition of the Zimbabwe Fashion Week. The Victoria Falls-based designer has been dominating runways over the past year with his upcycling brand and the re-FASHION Accelerator will likely hone his skills further.
One of Harare’s foremost streetwear brands, ROZEBOWL, will also be represented at the re-FASHION Accelerator. If you ask around, you can’t talk streetwear and not talk about ROZEBOWL. It was only right that the Trust take on Jackson ‘Jaxx’ Chifamba, co-founder of the brand, as part of the inaugural cohort of the re-FASHION Accelerator.
The “dark horse” of the six is Keith Chikumbu of Kikings Wearables. Chikumbu has spent the past four years fine-tuning his talent and directing his passion towards resurrecting denim pieces into streetwear masterpieces. Having recently finished university, he’s finally ready to take his upcycling brand to the mainstream. Not only is he one to watch out for at Zimbabwe Fashion Week, but for the future of Zimbabwean fashion.
It seems a timely brand-renaming is already reaping rewards for Ropafadzo ‘Kuki’ Mapira. Her brand Soleil (formerly Inferno) got selected as part of the re-FASHION Accelerator, making her the only female designer who is part of the 2024 cohort.
Tinashe Zimuto of Scott Streetwear continues to amaze with his avant-garde streetwear, and his selection to the re-FASHION Accelerator is yet another feather in his cap. His explorative pieces will surely light up the runway at Zimbabwe Fashion Week.
Representing KoNtuthu Ziyathunga is Tinashe Kahlela of Houz of Tinashe, whose sleek combination of chic and street has made him the celebs’ designer in Bulawayo.
We caught up with four of the six selected designers; and this is what they had to say about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity:
Keith Chikumbu of Kikings Wearables
“I am thrilled and deeply honored to have been selected as one of the six designers to showcase my collection at the Zimbabwe Fashion Week come October. This opportunity is a significant milestone in my career as a youthful fashion designer and represents a great accomplishment for Kikings Wearables, my clothing brand.
“While I have been relatively unknown in the fashion industry until now, I have never stopped pursuing my passion for design. My dedication to my craft has paid off and I am excited to finally have the opportunity to showcase my talent on a national stage. This moment marks a turning point in my career, as I step out of the shadows and into the spotlight. I am eager to share my vision and creativity with the world and to inspire others to follow their dreams, no matter how challenging the journey may be.
“My collection will feature a range of pieces crafted from repurposed denim, a versatile and durable fabric that is both stylish and environmentally friendly. Each piece will be carefully designed to breathe new life into discarded materials, giving them a second chance to shine on the runway. In addition to being stylish, I think that fashion should be environmentally friendly, and I want to encourage people to adopt sustainable fashion practices.”
Kuki of Soleil
“I’m overjoyed that I got selected as one of the (re-FASHION) Accelerator members, especially being the only female designer among the six. To me, it signifies that I’m actually doing something with this. I got into the Columbia University mentorship program earlier this year, as the only Southern African in the program; and then I just secured a spot on the Re-FASHION Accelerator, this has just made me realize that I’m not as delusional as I thought I was.
“A lot of the time when you’re starting your own business especially in the creative sector, it requires a lot of faith and delusion, I’m just really happy to have added another major achievement for my brand. The more I put myself out there, the more my brand is going to grow and the more I’ll meet people who appreciate my art.
“I’m really excited about the project I’ll be working on for Zimbabwe Fashion Week and I hope that it really comes out as crazy as it looks in my head.”
Jaxx of ROZEBOWL
“I feel great being part of the re-FASHION Accelerator program as it is going to give me some knowledge that I might not get from the streets. I see it as an opportunity to broaden my knowledge about fashion and entrepreneurship in general.
“As for the RozeBowL collection this is a good opportunity to force our street style into other markets like the Zimbabwe Fashion Week market where street style and sustainable fashion wasn’t that much of a thing.“
Tashinga Chigombe of Yet Galore
“I can’t wait to learn new things from the mentors and also from all the designers in the program, of which I know for sure there’s lots to learn. This will surely will be exciting!!“
