BY TENDAI SAUTA
HARARE-BASED fashion designer Tanyaradzwa Chinyangana (27) outclassed 35 other designers to be crowned the winner of this year’s edition of the Fashion and Handcrafts Show competition at the weekend.
The six-judge panel adjudged Euvancio Chikati as the first runner-up, while Caroline Godzongere and Sarah Marufu were tied on third position, with Angeline Dlamini settling for fourth place.
Model Takudzwa Tavaguta was the Best Female Model, while Panashe Murandu was Best Male Model.
In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style, Chinyangana said her emerging design company, Simiro, was born out of her extreme love for art and design.
“I am so humbled. It means a lot to win this competition,” she said.
“We create accessories and items of clothing for females. Although I am a biochemist by qualification, art and fashion are at the core of my heart.”
The competition organiser and founder of Chengetedza Fashion Brand, Moline Katiyo-Mayhew, said the winners were selected during a rigorous judging exercise.
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“Chinyangana won by a resounding margin, appearing first on two judges’ lists, second place on two other judges’ lists, as well as fourth and fifth on two other judges’ lists,” she said.
“I am pleased that the competition was a fair process with six judges, two international from the United Kingdom and the United States, four others were local ones. Chengetedza will continue to seek more opportunities and exposure for the winners and other designers.”
Katiyo-Mayhew said the judges’ overall comments were that there was a wide variety of designs to choose from, making it difficult to come up with the final decision.
“The judges were a consortium of global fashion experts, namely David Alford, who is an internationally renowned British fashion designer, whose fashion label is the first and only Zimbabwean-born brand to be invited to showcase at New York Fashion Week,” she said.
“Peter Rabvukwa is the founder of the fashion label Black Scissors and is also a director at Beatrice embroidery fashions. Margaret Majo, is a crafts artist whose work has been exciting internationally and locally. Sandra Moyo, founder of Girls R Us Trust and a handcrafter,” she said.
Katiyo-Mayhew said she wished to make the competition — which was a partnership with Culture Fund, Creative Actions, European Union and Zimbabwe Germany Society — an annual event.
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