Chimwemwe Ngugi Buleya has cemented her demeanor as the most versatile designer in Malawi and probably across the whole Southern Africa region.
The founder and CEO of Ngugi Designs has understood her assignment as a classic fashion designer and already likened to Kanye West, Guccio Gucci, Gianni Versace and his sister Donatella Francesca Versace.
https://twitter.com/NgugiBuleya/status/1460628776480432128
Most local designers, or as rightly described by socialite Asheren Masambo as local tailors masquerading as designers prefer the easy path where their only task is to copy and paste Nigerian and South African outfits popularised by music videos and soap operas from these two respective countries.
Nigerian outfits are easier to make. South African outfits are easier to make. These two categories are so loved and worn by several during what we wrongly term as traditional engagement and wedding ceremonies.
But Ngugi is so unlike these other “designers”. Their eyesight is set on an easy path reserved for lazy tailors mu makomboni or deserve to be competing with street tailors who line up along our CBDs outside shops owned by Indians.
The designs and style that the self-proclaimed designers have been producing in past few years deserve a red star campaign just like most of the buildings in our cities where the local designers deserve to take their sewing machine to.
On the contrary, Ngugi is on a territory of designing that is so unfamiliar for most local designers and their clients. But this is the only path that will take her to international stardom as a designer.
Her latest outfit proves that she has in her a unique touch of brilliance only reserved for someone who deserves the title of International before the term ‘designer’. Hers is a niche no one in the country’s fashion industry has ever dared to walk on in several years.
It is without surprise, therefore, that Ngugi’s recent “hers and his” respective designs swept Twitter Malawi and has divisively remained a talk of the town for these past days.
Outfit done by @NgugiDesigns ….we are located in area 12, come and get your outfit done with us. pic.twitter.com/bRxFT98th1
— Ngugi International Designs (@NgugiDesigns) December 1, 2021
