By Raymond Millagre Langa The world is run by the power of fashion, which means that fashion matters to the economy, to society and to each one of us as individuals. Actually, what we wear tells a story of who we are or who we want to be.
Clothes are important for our most basic needs like covering ourselves, warmth and protection, but in our current generation and context where everyone is photogenic, fashion and design is now taking central precedence. It is now integral in our lives, hence the need for local artists and creatives to endorse local designer brands and fashion houses.
Tapiwa Tiago Chiurawa is one such creative designer from Nketa 6 suburb in Bulawayo who uses the power of the fabric, the needle and sewing machine to design and upholster both clothing and furniture.
“I come from an artistic family, especially when I trace my talent from my matriarchal side. My late grand uncle, Tiago, whom I was named after was a tailor. My mother too is a designer, and I guess it really runs in the family,” Chiurawa said.
With growing unemployment in the country, it is imperative for designers, or artists to grow their talents into entrepreneurship. It is also important for people in the community to nurture and support local designers because through such talent, they are able to sustain their livelihoods.
Chiurawa has managed to use his ability to design clothes and upholster furniture to make a living in a country where unemployment is high. Within the Nketa community, he has managed to grow his brand into a fashion label which is called “Tiago Fashion designs”.
“This is a fashion brand that is influenced by cultural and also social latitudes. As a fashion designer, I design clothes and other accessories. For now I work alone and have not yet employed other staff, but my ambition is to grow the brand so that I can also create employment for other talented young designers. Growing the team will also attract bigger clients for the brand,” Chiurawa said.
He said in fashion designing, what is paramount is to ensure that the client is satisfied with the final product as their desire is to wear an outfit that would make them stand out in the crowd.
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“Nowadays, African fashion is dominated by the African print, and this is a popular print to wear during special occasions like weddings, lobola ceremonies, graduation and birthday parties, including church wear. Being a designer means the ability to first picture the dress or whatever piece of clothing it is, and then cut it to suit the client,” Chiurawa said.
“It is an art, and takes a lot of good imagination, correct sketching, drafting the idea and then putting the imaginations into paper. I draw most of my designs in a sketch book. The art of imagination is hard work. As a designer, I should also assist the client to choose a style that is suitable for the material. A designer also needs to be precise with regards to correct measurements and cutting of the material.”
He said as a designer working on his own, he has to multi task, from using his imagination to come up with the design, to sewing and coming up with the final product.
“It takes skill, talent, and open-mindedness,” he said. “While designing is an art that is learnt as a course at college, and in the case of Bulawayo, at the Bulawayo Polytechnic College art school; for me it was self-taught. As years went by, I then perfected my designing and sewing skills. I have designed outfits for weddings, church choirs, and several other occasions. I have to be up to date with the modern trends in fashion in order to satisfy clients,” Chiurawa said.
In essence a true fashion designer is someone who values the beliefs of the people and designs clothes according to their taste. One needs to respect the different values that people have, the diversity of cultures and different fashion tastes.
Zimbabwe has a very diverse culture. Globally, the fashion trends are also diverse and a designer needs to know about what is always trending in the world of fashion. The fashion designer needs to embrace local aesthetics in fashion, and also fuse them with modern international trends.
“Many confuse fashion design with printing labels on caps and t-shirts or hoodies. A fashion design is not a label or an imprint, but it is a creation, and a master piece that has been crafted from scratch, seamed and sewn. It is an end product from the designer’s creativity and not the mere imprints of labels we see trending nowadays,” Chiurawa said.
For females, beauty and fashion are of paramount importance to them. Beauty also plays an important role in women’s fashion. Beauty may include use of the latest facial make-up or other products introduced in the market. It also includes use of various matching accessories to the outfit such as belts, clutches, hair accessories, and footwear, among others.
“The fashion industry is not perfect. Every designer needs to be aware of the different trends in the fashion world. There is fast fashion and sustainable fashion. In sustainable fashion, for example, I remodel oversized second hand clothes to suit the need of the client. Second hand clothes have become popular in Zimbabwe due to economic hardships.”
Chiurawa said some of the challenges that he faces as a fashion designer is the high cost of sewing machines and accessories. He said with closure of most textile manufacturers in the country, cloth is also expensive as most of it is imported.
“The cost of equipment and cloth is crippling the fashion industry. In order to grow my designer brand into a factory that can employ other people, I need more machines, fabrics and equipment. I also need working space. Currently I am working from home and it is difficult to grow a brand while working from home. The economy is volatile and rentals at industrial sites are unaffordable. As talented designers, we are forced to work from home. However, with time I hope to grow my brand and work with, or mentor other upcoming young designers,” Chiurawa said.
Despite the ailing economy, the market for well-tailored modern designs is there. People will always want to put on nice clothes. Fashion designing encourages livelihood sustenance and development through the employment of talented tailors, textile artists, aspiring models, and other support staff.
There are also sales opportunities for local fabric retailers. Fashion designers can also help to bolster local economies by the infusion of capital from the sales and expansion of small businesses into new markets. Internationally, some top designers with big brands are millionaires or billionaires.
There is need to support local designers and those within our communities to grow their brands. This means that artists and other celebrities must also use these talented local designers to assist them to grow their brands and make it in life.
- Raymond Millagre Langa is a musician, poet, writer, orator and founder of Indebo Edutainment Trust. Follow Raymond Millagre Langa on Millagre Ray on Facebook and Instagram @Millagre Ray L, and email indeboedutainmenttrust@gamail.com and millagrepapaito@gmail.com
