By Ryan Martins and Ollus Ndomu
In the following brief but thought-provoking interview, this pubication’s Social Media Manager, Ryan Obed Martins, speaks to one of Zambia’s emerging fashion designer entreprenuer, Given Mwimanenwa. Mr Mwimanenwa’s face stands out on the fashion designing tapestry in Zambia for his odd-defying background and just his singular ability to simultenouly pursue two completely diferent goals. Please do enjoy the interview!
Question: Can you please tell us, “Who is Given Mwimanenwa?
Ans: I am a young man… born and bred as a Zambian… a Westerner, despite being born and brought up in the Southern Province. I did my primary and secondary education in Southern Province, I completed secondary education in 2009 at Namalundu High School; currently persuing bachelor of arts in Theology at Rusangu University.
Question: We heard you are into fashion designing. Can you please tell us what inspired you to embark on this despite your current pastoral pursuit?
Ans: Yes.. from childhood, I have been an artist; inspired by my elder brother, David Mwimanenwa, and in the process, my late elder sister Royce who was a tailor. And as such, the influence got to me. She used to refuse us from using her machine, that it may get destroyed. But whenever she left, while there was no one home, I would get on the machine and try to work on something without her knowledge. Later on in grade 8, I chose one of my subjects, Home Economics; there I was introduced to some basic principles of fashion and designing. This is my background of fashion and designing. In 2020, somewhere around November, I attended a short course for fashion and designing. And I was introduced to some detailed principals on fashion and designing. Though short, I got something from it..
Question: What was your parent’s take when they saw you take up such talent while you were in school?
Ans: Remember my late sister was into fashion and designing. She passed away in 2014.. so her machine was laying home; no one was using it. After I was done doing the short course, I went and inherited the machine. Since then, it’s the one have been using.I dediced to do this short course because my late father, who was then my main sponsor could not manage to give me money for school, so I decided to use that period for my fashion and designing program. So, one day, I didn’t have a bag for carrying my domestic printer. So I decided to design a bag for it. Using the available material and I managed to make one, and it could fit well. When I got to Livingstone, my Elder brother was astonished as to how I managed to design that bag.From there, he began to say, you can make a lot of money if you can just work on these bags.
Question: How long have you been in the fashion industry?
Ans: I can say almost clocking two years now .. I fully started in 2020 December..
Question: What are you into? Is it bags,men’s wear or others?
Ans: So from that time, I went into bag making. I have designed more bags than clothes. So my plan is to come up with a bag making company in future. Since many are into clothes, I want to venture into something different from them. So far I am starting to attend a short course for tailoring just to advance into male suit making.
Question: How do you see yourself in the nearest future?
Ans: I see myself owning my own brand for bags..
Question: Have you ever set out plans to come up with brands for school kids?
Ans: I haven’t done so…It’s really a good idea..Have taken Note.
Question: How do you balance your studies with your business?
Ans: It’s not been easy, but I am making progress. Soon I am likely to switch from full time [studying] to block release [distance]; this will be quite easier.
Question: What would be your advise to someone embarking on the fashion and designing business?
Ansa: All I can say to such a one is that, It’s not everything people will teach us. A vast ocean of knowledge is waiting for us to expand ourselves. Personally, bag making is something I taught myself. I use what I already know to do what I want. So what one needs is using whatever is available. Nothing good comes else and if it were so, everyone would have the good they want. Lastly, God gives ideas when you ask Him earnestly in prayer. He does inspire.
Gathered by Ryan Obed Martins, assembled and proofread by Ollus Ndomu
