In Zimbabwe, and possibly across the African continent, creative pursuits are often fuelled by youthful exuberance. Passion is still a constant but that youthful humour keeps one fervent in their pursuit. The desire to create. To form from the mind, to put a twist on what already exists, and to put what is in us into the world.
At its core, creativity is shaped by its expression. The more you create, the better you are at it. Simple, yet in practise complex. This notion is one the Skeyi & Strobo Fabrik Party has showcased over the years. By no means novices, the collective has ever been ready to adapt it's platform with every step. An elevation of each new edition, and a spirit adopted by its participants. A necessary requirement for the arts it celebrates: music, fashion, and art.
For a long time I've thought for Zimbabwean fashion (add music to a lesser extent) to break through its ceiling, it had to be accessible. Not in the frame of thought of affordability but designs that conform. An expression of threads that remembers that we are an "educated Christian nation," and some lines can't be crossed in how we dress. Yet in my consumption of runways (and concerts) over the years, this notion has been scrubbed away, and replaced by an understanding that to hope art conforms, is to actually put a ceiling on Zimbabwean fashion.
Conformity is the enemy and we should embrace those that dare to be different. This has ever been the essence of the Fabrik Party and for its 2025 edition none was more daring than designer Tamar Prayer, the brains behind The Red Planet, who showcased The Red Sex Collection: A hauntingly somber yet defiant line of clothing, that expressed a message of protest against the violence faced by women. Risqué at first impression, the line evolved with each new model that walked out.
The slits appeared less tailored and more torn fabric, the colour offsets point you in the direction of what society is ignoring and the veils deliver an air of mourning, a possible pointer to marital violenc. In design and showcase, The Red Sex Collection takes on sex and sexual violence head on. Although hard to picture beyond runways and red carpets, a line of fashion that carries a message is often most impactful there. When the models were long gone and the runway clears, the thoughts of the showcase still lingered. A ceiling I once had in mind for Zimbabwean fashion had been shattered.
This can be equally said for how Cet Cud by Cila put their twist on crotchet to enchanting results, alongside Planet Avur's alluring earth tones, Chenesai Africa's artistic but chic designs, Zevry Atlas' lace infused creations, PEZZECUL!AR & Eva Raath's out of the box thinking, and Caru Atelier's intrinsically African elegance.
It was easy to understand why Zimbabwean fashion had gone global: Ishmael Tsakatsa at Paris Fashion Week, Kiiking and Shashiko at Braam Fashion Week, Rungano Rwedu at Africa Fashion Week London, Marcus Zvinashe's ICATHA at eSwatini's Luju Festival, Yolanda Ngwenya of Bhakar and Charmaine Nziradzemhuka of Charz Designs interning at Berlin Fashion Week, Gilmore Tee's 'I Wear My Culture' winning global awards and Kim Jayde winning the Fashion Icon Award at the SAFAs.
The Skeyi & Strobo Fabrik Party itself branched out beyond our borders last year, and although it returned to just being in Harare this year, its runway and stage was graced by names from beyond. South Africa's Muzi was the headliner, and multiple brands from across the Zambia made the journey down here: Sophy's Couture, MANJEbyNcha, MK72, Caru Atelier and Molimo Fabrics. All through an understanding of the language of fashion and creativity. So what is the ceiling of Zimbabwean fashion?
The rebirth of Zimbabwe Fashion Week, the dawn of Mcheno & Mores 'Thrift and Threads,' the NAMA Awards' introduction of a fashion category and the continued elevation of the Fabrik Party Convention say there's none. There's the temptation to see things as linear and the question of why Zimbabwean brands haven't become a regular in the everyday, but the boundaries constantly being pushed by fashion's practices speak to a potential of untold proportions, and platforms like the Fabrik Party are excelling at platforming and nurturing that talent.
At its core, creativity is shaped by its expression. The more you create, the better you are at it. Simple, yet in practise complex. This notion is one the Skeyi & Strobo Fabrik Party has showcased over the years. By no means novices, the collective has ever been ready to adapt it's platform with every step. An elevation of each new edition, and a spirit adopted by its participants. A necessary requirement for the arts it celebrates: music, fashion, and art.
For a long time I've thought for Zimbabwean fashion (add music to a lesser extent) to break through its ceiling, it had to be accessible. Not in the frame of thought of affordability but designs that conform. An expression of threads that remembers that we are an "educated Christian nation," and some lines can't be crossed in how we dress. Yet in my consumption of runways (and concerts) over the years, this notion has been scrubbed away, and replaced by an understanding that to hope art conforms, is to actually put a ceiling on Zimbabwean fashion.
Conformity is the enemy and we should embrace those that dare to be different. This has ever been the essence of the Fabrik Party and for its 2025 edition none was more daring than designer Tamar Prayer, the brains behind The Red Planet, who showcased The Red Sex Collection: A hauntingly somber yet defiant line of clothing, that expressed a message of protest against the violence faced by women. Risqué at first impression, the line evolved with each new model that walked out.
The slits appeared less tailored and more torn fabric, the colour offsets point you in the direction of what society is ignoring and the veils deliver an air of mourning, a possible pointer to marital violenc. In design and showcase, The Red Sex Collection takes on sex and sexual violence head on. Although hard to picture beyond runways and red carpets, a line of fashion that carries a message is often most impactful there. When the models were long gone and the runway clears, the thoughts of the showcase still lingered. A ceiling I once had in mind for Zimbabwean fashion had been shattered.
This can be equally said for how Cet Cud by Cila put their twist on crotchet to enchanting results, alongside Planet Avur's alluring earth tones, Chenesai Africa's artistic but chic designs, Zevry Atlas' lace infused creations, PEZZECUL!AR & Eva Raath's out of the box thinking, and Caru Atelier's intrinsically African elegance.
It was easy to understand why Zimbabwean fashion had gone global: Ishmael Tsakatsa at Paris Fashion Week, Kiiking and Shashiko at Braam Fashion Week, Rungano Rwedu at Africa Fashion Week London, Marcus Zvinashe's ICATHA at eSwatini's Luju Festival, Yolanda Ngwenya of Bhakar and Charmaine Nziradzemhuka of Charz Designs interning at Berlin Fashion Week, Gilmore Tee's 'I Wear My Culture' winning global awards and Kim Jayde winning the Fashion Icon Award at the SAFAs.
The Skeyi & Strobo Fabrik Party itself branched out beyond our borders last year, and although it returned to just being in Harare this year, its runway and stage was graced by names from beyond. South Africa's Muzi was the headliner, and multiple brands from across the Zambia made the journey down here: Sophy's Couture, MANJEbyNcha, MK72, Caru Atelier and Molimo Fabrics. All through an understanding of the language of fashion and creativity. So what is the ceiling of Zimbabwean fashion?
The rebirth of Zimbabwe Fashion Week, the dawn of Mcheno & Mores 'Thrift and Threads,' the NAMA Awards' introduction of a fashion category and the continued elevation of the Fabrik Party Convention say there's none. There's the temptation to see things as linear and the question of why Zimbabwean brands haven't become a regular in the everyday, but the boundaries constantly being pushed by fashion's practices speak to a potential of untold proportions, and platforms like the Fabrik Party are excelling at platforming and nurturing that talent.