Langalakhe Mabena
HE has been applying to grace the event for the past six years and finally multi-award winning Harare-based fashion designer Thembani Mubochwa has received an invitation to showcase his brilliant designs at this year’s Pan-African Fashion show.
The annually held event that is an initiative by Nigerian fashionista Lexy Mojo Eyes will be held at the world’s fashion capital of Paris in France on October 1 and 2.
To add the icing to the cake, Mubochwa who collaborates with Military Touch Movement (MTM) in as far as fashion is concerned has changed his looks and appearance by growing dreadlocks.
He revealed that the new look was inspired by his association with Jah Prayzah’s MTM.
“The inspiration came from the environment I work in. I guess nearly 80 percent of Jah Prayzah’s team are dreadlocked and I have always loved the look. I rebranded myself so as to expose my affiliation with MTM.
“I started to apply for this event in 2013 and since I received an invite to showcase my designs in Paris this year, I had to up my looks because this is a platform that will be attended by marvellous fashion designers from all over the world,” said the soft spoken Mubochwa.
The multi-award winning designer who has numerous accolades, some from South Africa’s fashion extravaganza Durban July, revealed that he would be showcasing female tailored suits which have a very masculine feel detailed with PVC.
The designs that will be his 2020 collection signature on every model he associates with were inspired by his role as the Zimbabwe Elephant Ambassador.
“My designs for the Paris show were inspired by my lane as the Zimbabwe Elephant Ambassador. In the country we have lost quite a number of elephants due to litter of plastics and so forth.
“Therefore, with these designs I want to promote the recycling of plastics and I will also keep on spreading the word about elephant conservation through my collection everywhere I go hence PVC is my main focus,” he said.
Fashion models Maxine Adams and Lillian Madyara, otherwise known as Hollywood Lee, will accompany Mubochwa to Paris.
They will be showcasing the designer’s garments at the show with help from other Paris-based models.
