On Saturday, May 18, Zimbabwe Fashion International (ZFI) launched its newest initiative, a showroom and retail space for Zimbabwean designers to showcase and sell their work.
The showroom, called The Sp_ce, is located in Harare’s Chisipite suburb and is meant to help fashion designers create viable business enterprises by taking care of the selling and marketing for them so that they focus solely on the design.
Currently The Sp_ce consists of a retail shop and a Turkish lounge that will serve African and Middle Eastern cuisine.
Planned additions to the Sp_ce include a sewing room so that designers just bring in their designs and the rest of the process , from manufacturing to quality control to seeking customers, is taken care off.
ZFI announced last week that it would not be holding the annual Zimbabwe Fashion Week showcase this year. Chigariro Gessen explained to Zimbo Jam that in the current economic situation it would not be viable to hold the showcase.
Priscilla with a guest at the launch.
Fashion icon, Craig Zoowie (right), poses for a photo with friends.
I like this hooded shawl!
Zoowie with two other guests at the launch.
Zoowie with politician Acie Lumumba and The Sp_ce founder, Priscilla Chigariro Gessen.
Priscilla shows Lumumba around The Sp_ce
Thandeka Mujati, Ameera Mimi and Marshall Malikula pose for a selfie.
Marshall Malikula, Ameera Mimi and Thandeka Mujati.
263 TV Africa's Nico Abote chills in the Turkish lounge.
Priscilla shows guests around The Sp_ce.–
ZFI will still run its annual Young Designers Competition which sees aspiring designers being granted an opportunity to learn from some of the best designers in Zimbabwe and then competing against each other in a final showcase of their work.
Speaking on other future of the venue, Chigariro Gessen said that there are plans to add other features. “The next thing we’ll do will be an art house, which will be a container where exhibitions can be done. After that we will put in a fashion school.”
General Manager of The Sp_ce, Marshall Mutsamirwa, said that they were going to launch an app so that people could order online. “The Sp_ce will offer people an international platform to enable them to access Zimbabwean fashion,” he said.
Guests at the launch included Zimbabwean fashion icon, Craig Zoowie, socialite and blogger Ameera Mimi, 263 TV Africa founder Nico Abote, politician Acie Lumumba and several fashion designers.
Currently there are seven designers stocked and more in the works.
 launched its newest initiative, a showroom and retail space for Zimbabwean designers to showcase and sell their work. The showroom, called The Sp_ce, is located in Harare’s Chisipite suburb and is meant to help fashion designers create viable business enterprises by taking care of the selling and marketing...Read More){kind=link}