Fashion Mix Zambia brings Fashion Fridays to Lusaka!

What do you get when you gather a bunch of well-dressed people together in one of Lusaka’s trendiest locations on a Friday? Fashion Friday!

Fashion Friday is a unique concept put together by a group of individuals who host a platform known as Fashion Mix Zambia. Fashion Mix is a platform for people in the fashion industry, from designers, models, photographers and mere fashion lovers. This platform aims to harness, unite and grow the local Zambian fashion community.Fashion Mix Zambia facilitates experience sharing, powerful collaboration and industry growth through rare interactions with industry icons, specially-designed classes and workshops and high fashion networking sessions at some of Lusaka’s best venues. This happens every first Friday of the month and has been aptly named as “Fashion Friday.”

Last month, Fashion Mix Zambia hosted the second “Fashion Friday” which was a resounding success. The event featured a master class on “Fashion and Media” presented by popular TV personality Lulu Hangala and Editor of Beauty Magazine and founder of Zambian Fashion Week, Gillian Langmead. Both women shared some useful tips and advice with designers and fashion journalists who attended. Some of the highlights included:

Advice to designers:

• Use the media to push your products. Go out to newspapers, radio and TV. It’s not that hard to get your product in the media in Zambia.
• Dress local celebrities and personalities. Ensure you deliver on your promise to provide the garment on time and with a quality finish.
• Go out to the corporate world for sponsorship. Ensure you prepare well in advance and describe to the potential sponsor how your brand can add value to their company.
• Consider using a professional stylist for your shoots
• As a designer it is important to be disciplined, constant, have attention to detail, ensure high quality garments that are produced on time.

How we can boost the Zambian fashion industry

• Focus on education and building. Great designers and journalists have come out of Evelyn Hone College but there is a need to see continued improvements to the course content offered.
• More Zambian people should wear local and be proud of garments designed and made in Zambia.
• Change the perception of the fashion industry in Zambia. Fashion shows are not just for entertainment but are used to showcase a collection to buyers, the media and the public in order to promote and buy local designs.

The master class was followed by a fashion show showcasing designs by two local designers Martha Kabaso and Muchanga Mudenda.

This month’s “Fashion Friday” falls on the 6th of June and will feature a master class on Fashion and Modelling presented by Top Model UK winner Lonah Shawa and Model Coach and designer Mickley Banda. This will be followed by a fashion show with the R&G Model Search qualifying models.

The Master Class will start at 18:00–19:30 hours at Foxdale Court management office (2nd floor, Mama Betty Wing) and the fashion show will start at 20:00 hours at Roma Sky Bar.Fashion Friday is absolutely free, come with your friends and enjoy a complete fashion networking experience with other fashion lovers.