Zimbabwe Fashion Week 2023: The Return of Zimbabwe’s Premier Fashion Event

Almost like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Zimbabwe Fashion Week is set to make a triumphant this year.

After seemingly fading into the oblivion almost 4 years ago, the country’s premier fashion event is set to return in 2023! In the month that is now internationally dubbed “African Fashion Month”, October.  

Since 2009, Zimbabwe Fashion Week Trust, a non-profit organisation founded by model turned entrepreneur, Priscilla Chigariro has created and developed the growing fashion industries in Zimbabwe, to help advance the careers of select local talent and celebrate the thriving fashion and retail community.

Over the past one and a half decades, the Zimbabwe Fashion Week Trust, through it’s events and development offerings, Zimbabwe Fashion Week and Young Designer’s Programme has managed to achieve the following:  

•Celebrate the creativity of multiple fashion designers from around the world on its fashion runway shows

•Advance young fashion designers’ careers by giving them the necessary skills to build their brands as well as giving them access to local, regional and international markets.

•Effectively work with numerous corporate brands and non governmental organisations by utilising the fashion’s industry creative input to amplify each stakeholder’s brand to its target audience.

Historically held in various locations around the city of Harare, Zimbabwe Fashion Week will this year be held at the majestic Victoria Falls.

Besides the development of the fashion and textile industries, one of the major objectives of Zimbabwe Fashion Week is to play its part in the development of the tourism industry. Hosting the fashion week at the Victoria Falls will encourage and highlight the destination not only as a spectacular tourist destination for safari, but as the gateway to the growing visual arts and fashion industries in Zimbabwe.  

Speaking on what this year’s showcase has in store, Founder and Executive Producer Priscilla Chigariro shared the event would develop beyond the runway and also revealed that for the second season, Johannesburg based runway show producer Andiswa Manxiwa, who’s accolades include production for Africa Fashion International’s Johannesburg and Cape Town Fashion Weeks, would be handling the runway production.

I am now in the thick of the western fashion world and have access to multiple avenues to promote African designers from our region. Besides the runway shows A robust development program has been constructed which will run throughout the year helping rebuild the fashion industry from grass roots level. 

This year’s edition of Zimbabwe Fashion Week will be the first without an event specific theme. However, an elaborate story detailing the inspiration behind the event’s new and permanent logo will serve as an ongoing theme for the event, Cultural Preservation.

Incoming Director, Mr. Marshall Mutsamwira shared that Zimbabwe Fashion Week’s return this year was going to be a very special one especially with the main event taking place at one of the seven natural wonders of the World, Victoria Falls. He said the aim was to strengthen the fashion industry and to ensure it makes a positive impact economically.

Our main focus as the Zimbabwe Fashion Week team this year and beyond is to not only create memorable fashion events but to actively work with key stakeholders in the industry to enable our fashion industry to contribute positively to our country’s GDP through exports of our cultural heritage, diversity and creativity and offering platforms for young Zimbabweans to be able to actualise their creative vision and be competitive in the global marketplace.

One of the most notable success stories from previous editions of Zimbabwe Fashion Week is Ishmael Tsakatsa.

He is the founder and head designer for the brand Zargue’sia. Born in 1992, Ishmael grew up with a love for unique fashion and style. He first appeared on the fashion scene at the Zimbabwe Fashion Week 2012, Young Designers Competition. He then launched his brand Zargue’sia in 2013 at Zimbabwe Fashion Week where he was nominated for the Emerging Designer of the Year Award. He went on to be awarded the ZFW Designer of the Year title at the Zimbabwe Fashion Awards in September 2014.

In October 2021, Ishmael made national history by becoming the first Zimbabwean designer to debut at Paris Fashion Week with his “Stones of Fire” Spring / Summer Collection.  

For more details about Zimbabwe Fashion Week 2023, please visit the website – www.zimbabwefashionweek.com email zimbabwefashionweek@gmail.com or call +263 789 892 807