Cathy Kanthuzi crowned Malawi’s 2009 best fashion designer
Spectacular Fashions owner and designer Cathy Kanthuzi was crowned this year’s best fashion designer during the 2009 Malawi Celebrity Fashion Show that took place in the capital city Lilongwe.
She outclassed four contestants from the capital city in a competition that saw one of the six participators; Blantyre based Nzika Wear pulling out of the competition “due to poor organization.”
The Celebrity Fashion Show held at Capital Hotel was organized by Excite Events Media to expose Malawi’s talent in fashion designing through outfit displays with the country’s radio, music, sports and other modeling personalities.
Though she won the award, Kanthuzi told Nyasa Times that looking at the competition she went through, it was not pleasing to carry the ‘best fashion designer in Malawi’ accolade.
She said countrywide, six competitors were not enough for the competition to deserve one such a title.
“Of course I am happy I won but on the other hand the title is not fit to be called ‘the best designer in Malawi’. I would rather say Blantyre won against Lilongwe because I was competing with designers from the capital city,” said Kanthuzi, who is yet to get her medal from the organizers.
She added: “I would be more than happy if I won against designers from all the regions of the country.”
According to her, the fashion show would not be described as a contest because in a competition, the contenders were supposed to be given a theme and same materials for everyone to come up with his or her costumes with similar fabrics.
“We went there with our own different materials, others expensive others cheap, which was not fair,” she said while observing that “others brought outfits bought from shops.”
Meanwhile, concurring with the winner, some participants, both designers and models have bemoaned poor organization of the event.
“We were told about our participation only three weeks to the event and instead of giving us the money which we were promised to assist us in preparation, we were only told at the eleventh hour that the funds were not available because their [organizers’] finance manager was abroad.
“We were asked to use our funds to be refunded after the show,” said one of the contestants who asked not to be mentioned.
Nyasa Times has also learnt that besides the participating designers, the models, artists and DJs too are crying foul for not receiving their money at the end of the event.
In addition, participants from Blantyre were left in the cold in Lilongwe after the show as the organizers could not be traced.
“We were used and dumped. Imagine we were promised to receive our money after the show but they [organizers] failed to do so. After the show, they were nowhere to be seen and their phones were switched off only to find them after a tiresome hunt,” protested the concerned parties.
Nevertheless, Kanthuzi said the show was positive as she managed to seal business deals with Malawian citizens and foreigners.
“Some people from the UK expressed their interest in my designs and they want to support me,” she disclosed, adding “Most of the musicians also said they would want me to be designing costumes for their music videos.”
Having started ventured into clothing business two years ago after completing her fashion and designing studies at Witwatersrand University in South Africa, the 22-year-old pointed out that the event was a stepping stone in her determination to become an international designer.
“My ambition is to become one of the well-known designers in Africa as well as the world. Apart from participating in international Fashion Weeks in countries such as South Africa and France, I want to dress international celebrities,” she said.
Also a wedding planner, Kanthuzi, whose Spectacular Fashions company is specialized in office wear, traditional outfits, work suits and uniforms, makes garments for different service and manufacturing companies in Malawi including Le Meridien Mount Soche Hotel, Colony Casino, Illovo Sugar Malawi Limited, Carlsberg Malawi Limited and the Blue Elephant.
At the moment, according to Kanthuzi, fashion designers in Malawi are exploring ways on how to form an association that would be running affairs of the industry and promote other upcoming designers.
“We want to come up with something that will promote this industry here in Malawi and outside,” she revealed while stressing on the point that it is high time Malawians realized what fashion designing is.
“Fashion designing is not about you knowing how to sew or having a sewing machine. It’s about creating designs which are unique. A designer has to be creative not what we are witnessing at the moment as people just take styles from posters or catalogues to make clothes.”
Pictured is Miss Malawi first princess and Young Kay in Spectacular Fashions outfits.
Tagged with: Ctahy Kanthuzi, Spectacular Fashion, Young Kay
We really need fashion designers in Malawi.Design some cute outfits for this upcoming untalented malawians artist.Ali ndikuvala zima coumflage zosakhala bwino with poor quality videos.They need to groom themselves if they are to be known globally.Ine ndine dolce and gabanna,gucci and versace chomwechomwecho ndi perfume ndi miwado yake.
Nifumbileniko namnyinu ka mwa na uyo ni mwali?Namkholwa nkhukhumba naye nthengwa.congrats
Congrants you have made us proud.
iwe ELia zinthombi kuboma uko kulije? Majaha ghakuboma uko napulika kuti muna soni chomene na nthombi.Mungoni soni na banakazi chala!
This is exciting news, to see beautiful young Malawians embrace innovation. Contrary to some bizarre views I saw on these pages a few weeks ago suggesting that Malawians should not embrace western culture.
Those who want to go back and live with dinosaurs, please do it quietly, I am not sure lots of Malawians will be following you soon. We want to see Malawian fashion eventually take on the rest of the world. Proud of you young lady, keep it up.
Inu a James Malizani this is not about embracing western culture but its for some fashion designers in Malawi…Nothing to do with your colonial mentality…perth or sydney who cares…Malawians are not bootlickers for azungu.its only you Malizani…izi zakuvala kwathu ku Malawi.Anything to do with dinosaurs here???? Be proud of where you come from otherwise you will end up in paupers graves with no names mukapanda kusamala mu diaspora..kungowotcha ngati kanyenya.Ndamaliza ine a very proud malawian.
Zosowa izi pa nyasaland. Well done
Our goverment should support this industry,its high time to start producing our own label.We cotton ,ginnery and whitex(mapeto) please bwana include these individuals in the next budget.we are tied of chinese rejects.yes we can.