LOCAL award-winning fashion designer Thembani Mubochwa has missed a lifetime opportunity to rub shoulders and exchange notes with renowned top designers from across the world after he failed to get a visa on time to attend the esteemed annual African Fashion Reception 2019 that starts today and ends tomorrow in Paris, France.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
If Mubochwa had made the trip, he could have fulfilled his much awaited six-year dream to attend the event, having been applying for long and only to be lucky to receive a positive respond this year.
In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style yesterday from Johannesburg, the disappointed Mubochwa said although he failed to travel, he had sent his 2020 PVC dazzling collection for exhibition as scheduled at the Pan-African Fashion Show.
“I am disappointed that I could not fly to Paris for the African Fashion Reception 2019 due to reasons beyond my control. I was expecting to be there mixing and mingling as well as sharing notes with the world gurus in the fashion design,” he said.
“I, however, somehow find comfort as the event organisers have allowed me to send my collection to be showcased as scheduled in my absence. For me, this is still a dream come true for my collection to be exhibited at an event of such magnitude.”
Mubochwa said the collection to be showcased at the event included female tailored suits, which have a very masculine feel detailed with PVC in a unique way as the main focus on the suit.
The talented Mubochwa said the PVC collection was inspired by his role as the Zimbabwe Elephant Ambassador. “My designs for this Paris show were mainly 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 among other things, so with these designs I wanted to promote the recycling of plastics,” he said. “Through my collection, I will continue to spread the word about elephant conservation everywhere driven by passion and determination.”
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Mubochwa, who was also behind Jah Prayzah’s military attire, has designed attires for several celebrities, preachers and politicians, who now at least have something in their wardrobes courtesy of his creative hand.
