2016 Great Year For David Alford Harare
2016 has been an incredible year for rising Fashion House, David Alford Harare. The award winning brand dedicated most of the year penetrating the international market showcasing in Ghana, France and Kenya.
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Fashion
Realistic Fashion Makes Sense in this Globalised World
Globalisation has made the world smaller than it used to be. Back in the day, it would take forever for one to know what was happening in Holland or Tanzania. Globalisation as a concept has brought people, villages, neighbourhoods, cities, countries and regions closer to each other. I actually think in theory, it’s a good thing that the world is being shrunk into a little village. It sounds really pretty that everyone is equal and has the “same” access to commodities that are available for all to use.
House of Bantu
Having grown up in beautiful Zimbabwe I can still remember all the colours that filled the air through the trees and all the colourful garments that the women wore everywhere. I am particularly inspired by splashes of colour that contrast dark spaces. I love how colour is such a good indication of life. It doesn’t matter what colours you use be it in a piece of artwork or a lovely piece of clothing, colour is such a good indication of life. Having lived in Australia for the last 12 years, I am constantly looking at colour through nature.
Fashion in the Time of Cholera
I was asked to write this opinion piece on the fashion industry in Zimbabwe and all the predictable adjectives like fledgling and emerging came to mind, when I realised that none of these truly captured what it was like to be in the business here and now. As I pondered how best to describe the state of designers in our country today, I began to relate to one of my favourite authors, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and decided to paraphrase one of his novel’s titles for this piece’s title.
Expansion
I heard somebody say the word expansion, then realised much later that it was me. Silly I thought, then later it became interesting. I began to develop that word and gave much relevance to my works and my everyday happenings, just the way a designer expands his thumbnail ideas to produce that final one.
Dress to Express: Adornment as Art
For some time now I have been pondering (obsessing over?) how people relate to their bodies and whether or not this affects their understanding of bodily autonomy which has fairly obvious implications for those interested in women’s rights.
Taking fashion to the people
Experience the power of synchronized thinking in empowering the next generation setting new trends as Zimbabwe’s fashion is coming in leaps and bounds. Drawing lessons from Kenya and South Africa’s fascinating fashion success stories, emanating from investment in contemporary fashion using cultural personality.
Rural to Ramp fashion show at HIFA
This year HIFA introduced a new concept of fashion shows through out the festival. Different fashion and jewellery designers had their collections exhibited to festival goers throughout the festival. In 2011 something similar was held out in the open on the Global Quarter Stage as a free event. This year it was inside a tent and became a paid event.
