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Mr Chamu Chiwanza wearing a $1 500 suit

Langalakhe Mabena
Accomplished fashion designer Thembani Mubochwa who is undoubtedly the pillar of the Zimbabwean fashion design industry who has taken the local designs to the world, plans to produce outfits for football giants Highlanders FC.

Mubochwa, who is based in Harare but was born and grew up in Bulawayo, said he always dreamt of having a fashion design studio in the city. That dream has finally turned into reality as a deal for him to design branded suits for Highlanders is in the pipeline. This was confirmed by the club’s chief executive officer Nhlanhla Dube.

Mr Chamu Chiwanza

“We have engaged Thembani to be our main designer after he designed branded suits for our executive staff,” said Dube.

Mubochwa relocated from Durban, South Africa to Harare a few years and then ventured into fashion designing.

He is now a designer for many prominent businesspeople and celebrities in the country including Jah Prayzah.

“Since I came to Harare, I never looked back and therefore don’t regret leaving Durban to start a new fashion design project back home. The local fashion design industry has  proved a very lucrative industry,” said Mubochwa.

The designer who can design a suit which costs $350 in three hours and one which costs $1 500 in three days, is definitely making a killing from the works of his hands.

Among those he has designed suits for is Harare-based flamboyant businessman Mr Chamu Chiwanza who is the former Affirmative Action Group president.

Chiwanza has been supporting Thembani’s business since 2014.

“Usually I design suits whose price starts from $350. These are normal designs which I can complete in three hours. Other expensive suits I design can take me up to three days because they require more time.

“I charge for my designs depending on the material I use. For example, I get cheap material from Holland and Sherry for the low cost suits, however, those that I design using material straight from Paris are the ones which are expensive because the material will be classy,” said Mubochwa.

His strength of designing is mostly on male suits.

Mubochwa said he was taught most of his skills by Jacob Banda, a veteran Malawian fashion designer who used to design for the late former First Lady Cde  Sally Mugabe.

“When I finished my Ordinary Level studies in 2001, I went to Malawi and met Jacob Banda who taught me all the basic design-ing skills. He used to specialise in designing suits and inspired me to do the same.”