Art and animation have long been at the confluence of the world of fashion and design. The overlapping worlds of visual narratives have often fed into one another, with inspiration flowing both ways. This is especially true in the story of Rutendo Chelsea Rwizi. The young creative has been touched by both art and animation in her journey to becoming a fashion designer.
As she tells it, a seed was planted within her in early childhood by the animated show Winx Club, and that seed would sprout into her love of fashion. Rwizi was fascinated by the main characters on the show. How they would transform and so would their outfits when they turned from young girls into fairies because they needed to fight a villain. This fascination, along with the subject art in high school, would see Rwizi determined to pursue a career in fashion.
Although only starting to learn the tools of the trade in 2019, Rwizi has caught on fast. The young designer has already showcased her work at the Skeyi&Strobo Fabrik Party: One of Zimbabwe’s premier creative art and design platform, and in 2023 she was part of NGUWOapotheca’s Engaged Art Residency in partnership with the British Council.
Rwizi describes her early beginnings in fashion as being blessed by a stroke of luck. The young designer started off her journey into fashion with lessons from her aunt’s friend.
“My aunt’s friend taught me how to make a basic shirt block and a basic skirt block, and I made my first ever skirt in 2019, I still have it. I still wear it a lot actually but it was just a basic pencil skirt.”
Rutendo Chelsea Rwizi
A while after she started learning the basics and had a handle on them, Rwizi decided to start working so she could buy her own equipment. Once she had earned enough, Rwizi quit her job and entered the world of fashion full time. As the main client for her own designs, she often speaks through her work.
“I’m inspired by anything and everything, I could see a pile of dirt and be inspired to make a dress, I could be inspired by clouds, music, a cup, anything that makes me think of clothes, sometimes I see clothes in a dream and wake up and try to draw them and then later I realize what it came from, which could be anything.”
Rutendo Chelsea Rwizi
She often creates looks that speak to the rebel within her. If you see a Rutendo Chelsea Rwizi original, it’s something striking, an outfit that turns heads. Reflecting on her short time in the fashion space so far, she says the journey has not been easy going, but she’s determined to succeed. While she’s received her fair share of clients, the young designer still feels like couture is under appreciated in Zimbabwe.
Rwizi hopes in the coming year or two she’ll be able to establish her own brand. One that gain recognition not only nationally but on the international stage. Showcasing at Paris Fashion Week ranks high on the lists of feats Rwizi would like to achieve. At the present moment however, Rwizi is hungry to learn. She’s taking up any opportunities that allow for this and she’s extremely optimistic about what the future holds for her.
“Although money is nice, I’m actively trying to not design for the money, it’s more of an expression of self and my hope would be to get as many people to see that expression and understand what I was going with, I would love to exhibit at fashion weeks and have pop up shops”
Rutendo Chelsea Rwizi
Rutendo Chelsea Rwizi is part of ‘Tha Plug In’, a Creative showcase by the British Council in partnership with #enthuse Magazine.
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