Organisers of the forthcoming Southern African Development Community (SADC) Industrialisation Week gala dinner and fashion show are calling for designers' participation.
The event, which is part of the build-up to the 44th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government scheduled for August, will be held at the Harare International Conference Centre.
It will run under the theme, "The Savannah Experience", because it resonates with most of the countries in SADC
The fashion show will largely draw inspiration from the savannah landscape, capturing the flora and fauna of this beautiful country.
One of the organisers, secretary of the Zimbabwe Leather Development Council, Jacob Nyathi, said; "Yes, the event is happening and it is part of the SADC Summit to be held in August."
The SADC Industrialisation Week will run from July 28 to August 2, 2024, and we want to stage a world-class exhibition and fashion show at a dinner gala.
"We have mobilised the leather, cotton-to-clothing and Fashion Council of Zimbabwe associations, namely the Zimbabwe Leather Development Council (ZLDC), Zimbabwe Leather Collective (ZLC), the Zimbabwe Clothing Manufacturers Association (ZCMA), and Zimbabwe Textiles Manufacturers Association (ZITMA) to come together to work collaboratively to stage a high-level event that will showcase local design talents from these complementary sectors."
Nyathi said that the overall coordination and resource mobilisation is led by CZI, the co-hosts of the SIW, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the SADC Business Council, and the SADC Secretariat.
"The hour-long fashion show at the SADC Industrialisation Week is being put together by the Clothing Manufacturing Association of Zimbabwe, the Fashion Council of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Leather Collective, with the Zimbabwe Leather Development Council being the lead in this project.
"The Savanah Experience Fashion Show will serve as a dynamic platform to showcase the rich tapestry of the Zimbabwean agro-processing industry, combining the essence of the leather industry and cotton-to-clothing industry."
Nyathi said the fashion show aims at highlighting the fundamentals of the Zimbabwean industry, emphasising agriculture, mining and manufacturing as the pillars of the nation's economic landscape.
"The recruitment of models and prop utilisation will be done by a committee that has been set aside to bring the creative vision to life. A diverse array of models representing Zimbabwe's cultural mosaic will be selected to walk the runway."
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Fashion Council of Zimbabwe's Joyce Chimanye said they have already sent a call to all designers in the country to take part.
"We have reached out to all designers nationwide, not only those who are affiliated with our organisation, but everyone. Those who wish to participate should be a registered company, have tax clearance, and run a company that has production within Zimbabwe," she said.
Chimanye said there will be an adjudication committee that will select designers to take part in the fashion show.
"Through FCoZ, we will then sit down and analyse and check on the submissions, then those who have made it will show-case on the night.
"The deadline for submitting applications is July 3, hence those designers who meet the criteria of the mentioned requirements still have ample time."
She said only 10 designers are expected to showcase on the night. Five would be clothing manufacturers and another five will deal with leather subjects.
