The dark pinnacle of Zimbabwe fashion

Recently, we read a very disturbing article in the local press (click here for article) which brought to light the controversies surrounding the upcoming Zimbabwe Fashion Week (3-6 September, 2015) and it's sad to hear about what the writer found. In a nutshell, the press levelled the following accusations against the event:

• the organisers are corrupt in how they make nominations for awards
• the organisers often use awards to appease creditors in business
• the organisers run their back office like a military camp (whatever that means)
• creditors (even international ones) have resorted to legal action against the event in order to get what they are owed
• "fans" as they were are not particularly impressed with the recurring disorganisation of the event in the years it has run
• top international designers including Farai Simoyi, Nicki Minaj's senior designer have pulled out nervously because of the event's disorganisation

Maybe let's start by pointing out that as Lady Targaryen we do not share the same opinions as the various journalists who have written on the matter echoing the same sentiments. Or more accurately, Lady Targaryen will reserve it's opinion. As a matter of fact we do not intend to investigate the matter further than picking up a newspaper; we aren't in the business of making such strong allegations against fellow businesses in fashion as we believe in some way it affects us all. It is important to clear up our position on the matter despite our not so great past with Zimbabwe Fashion Week as an event and as an organisation (we actually wrote an article about it, click here). Let the record state, we actually wish Zimbabwe Fashion Week all the best.

That being said, the main concern here, as we see it, is that such events are meant to be the prime of our collective efforts as players in the Zimbabwe fashion industry. They are meant to be the shining beacon atop the heavens-high mountain of local fashion, looking over the entire landscape, showing everyone the best of what we have, what we work for, what we create, what we call our passions - but instead, we see a dark cloud at the pinnacle of our mountain. True or not, the allegations that have been brought to the event have heavy implications for literally everyone involved in the industry. From the top designer mauling over being associated with an event marred with such allegations, to the small designer coming out of a ZedLabel designer course aspiring to one day climb this mountain in the hopes of finding the light at the top. For the exhibitor weighing up the dollars she will spend in getting a stand at the show versus the possibility that their monies will simply add to the event's budget while they don't get to exhibit as per contract and don't get refunded at all. For the regular fashion lover who wants to come in and catch a show and make dinner afterwards having to cancel plans because of delays. Everyone involved is affected.

We appreciate the fact that to build something like Zimbabwean Fashion Week is no small feat. In a country like ours it is amazing that the event has actually come this far. It is however more saddening to see things like corruption pervading our space. The responsibility of building such a mountain is that the pinnacle must always be shiny, everyone else along the way up works too hard to have it otherwise. We believe that's everyone's responsibility. We build this mountain, we are the mountain.

The obvious flipside is that the local press just needed to sell papers. Which is tragic, but possibly true too. Not knowing much about journalist ethics we would not attempt to give that lecture. But it seems if people close enough to the event or relevant stakeholders are quoted speaking in support of these allegations then the editor gives the green light for print. It would also seem a few Facebook users on different pages relating to fashion in Zimbabwe would sing the same song as these journalists which, again, is a cause of concern.

Whatever the case, it's sad that one of the top events in our industry has been fingered in this light, or darkness rather. We pray our industry remains clean just the way we like it. Let's leave corruption to FIFA. Let's just stick to putting fabric together and making awesome stuff. Our local industry is only on the come-up right now, we definitely don't need such.

June 12th Trunk Shop opening!!!!

As previously advertised, Targaryen Leather products including both brands, Lady Targaryen and
Targaryen Man, will be available at Arundel Village in Harare from the 12th of June, 2015 in Zimbabwe's first trunk shop stocking ONLY LOCALLY MADE clothing accessories and products. Here's a press release statement by our friends over at Fashion Weekend Zimbabwe to explain the whole gig, exciting stuff:

Fashion Weekend Zimbabwe is a Fashion and Design platform that was created to increase economic development in the area of design, clothing and merchandising. Launched in 2012, Fashion Weekend branches off the concept of Fashion Weekend London and Fashion Weekend Sydney; shopping events that target the consumer and provide an excellent opportunity for Designers, Retailers, Beauticians and Makeup Houses, to come together under one roof.

Just only 3 years old, Fashion Weekend Zimbabwe continues to push the envelope of innovation; inspiring new directions and enhancing the business of fashion and design. In partnership with Arundel Village Shopping Centre, Fashion Weekend presents monthly pop-up fashion events that will involve designers and retailers.

Shamiso Ruzvidzo, the brains behind the beauty

First in line is a local designers store opening in partnership with Rungano Rwedu on the 12th June 2015, 5.30pm - 8.30pm. To celebrate the store opening, Fashion Weekend is hosting a preview launch where guests have the first-hand opportunity to preview exclusive brands, from some of Zimbabwe’s biggest names in fashion! Top stylist Haleema Mekani will be in store to provide one on one styling tips and recommendations. If you love fashion, then don’t miss an opportunity to network with other fashion devotee’s, meet the designers behind the brands in person and of enjoy pre-opening discounts.

Here’s a taste of some of the brands you can expect to see instore; Mucha Original African Couture, #NDNM, Lady Targaryen, Targaryen Man, Goddess by Fatima and many more.

Store opening tickets are $10, now available to purchase from shop #28 at Arundel Village Mount Pleasant Harare. For more information call Nyasha on +263 783 407 993 or email info@fashionweekendzim.com

Red carpet, media hub, press coverage, meet and greets, celebrities - FASHION HEAVEN!! WE will be tweeting live from the event and will write up a comprehensive article on the event afterwards so stay tuned. We look forward to seeing you at the opening!!!

 

 

Lady Targaryen Recommends #AnkaraFever

Let's face it, ladies, Ankara is THE thing to be found wearing right now. Let the record state we are not complaining at all. It's in the vibrant colours, the mesmerising patterns, the soft touch of the fabric itself (the real ones anyway), the African feel to it that we are ever so proud of. And Lord knows it looks good on a classy lady!!

The entire Ankara aura screams, "I am a proud African woman, see me now!!!". With the way it's taken over the world now it's screaming all sorts of things but the inescapable element of that African beauty is ever-present - Africa's true and bold fingerprint on world fashion.

How does it look with us?

With Lady Targaryen we believe fashion is a language on its own, and our accessories have proved multi-lingual as we've experimented with blending outfits over time. Here are a few Ankara looks with La Pochette Collection by Lady Targaryen:

 

Ankara Peplum top with a Mustard Clutch bag with floral designs ($50)

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Ankara summer dress with cream and brown clutch bag with a tassel ($60)

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Another Ankara summer dress with a chocolate brown clutch bag ($60)



Well, what do you think? With the way the fabrics seem to blend with Lady Targaryen one can only wonder what a special line of Lady Targaryen bags fused with Ankara would look like, hmmmm...

#LadyTargaryenRecommends beat the heat

The sun sure is playing a number on us of late. Sometimes a girl just needs a light dress to beat the heat but still has to look good. Here's how #LadyTargaryenRecommends you do it:

Clutch bag is LPC4 from La Pochette Collection by Lady Targaryen @ $60

 

Pull out a beige wrap dress, your favourite shades, an eather coloured wood bangle, a pair of gladiators and finish the look with a chocolate brown clutch bag by Lady Targaryen. Try it out!

 

#LadyTargaryenRecommends try some lace

Medium-sized light blue handbag @$120

Try some lace, it won't kill you. In fact we've put together an outfit with lace that goes pretty well with one of our handbags for you to try. We recommend a black lace-top dress, simple and elegant pearls and some red heels to brighten up your look and our medium sized genuine suede leather light blue handbag.

Have a go at it, tell us what you think.

Know your leather and care for it

Leather care tips by Lady Targaryen

First thing you ought to know is leather is literally skin. And just like your skin, for it to stay looking great it needs to be looked after well, it needs to be moisturized, it needs to be cleaned - what you wouldn't do to your own skin you must not do to your gorgeous leather. More often than not, information on how to care for leather is misleading, plain wrong or applied wrongly. Before you can learn how to care for your leather, you should know the type of leather you have.

Know your leather

Let's start with some basics. Leather is a natural product. It comes from animal skins which have been chemically processed (tanned) to preserve them. A properly tanned hide (or skin) creates strong, flexible leather, resistant to decay. Most leather is tanned cow hide (other common hides include goat, sheep, alligator, ostrich). Cow hides are about 1/4 to 3/8 inches thick, which is too heavy for general upholstery application. Therefore, hides are split laterally, rendering an upper and lower cut.

Top-grain leather vs Suede, courtesy of Targaryen Man

The upper portion is the top-grain, or full-grain. The lower portion is the split. This cutting process creates different “faces” to the leather. The outside face of the top- or full-grain shows the natural grain characteristics, but is otherwise smooth, whereas, the underside appears as suede. There are two basic categories: Finished or Unfinished. Finished leather is first dyed via immersion in a dye solution, and then the outside face of the hide is coated with a pigmented resin, and then a subsequent clear-coating. Unfinished leather processing stops at the first dyeing process, without any resin coating. Finished leather is protected by the colour-coating and clear-coating, and unfinished is unprotected, not having either of these subsequent coatings applied.
creates different “faces” to the leather. The outside face of the top- or full-grain shows the natural grain characteristics, but is otherwise smooth, whereas, the underside appears as suede.

The following table depicts comparative features.

FEATURE	FINISHED	UNFISIHED
Colour	Pigment color coating on the leather's surface	Aniline dye color in the leather
Stain Protection	Color coating protects against staining	Absorbs liquid - prone to staining
Fading	Pigment coating is fade resistant	Dyes fade from light exposure (UV)
Color Richness	Color coating is flat, lacking depth	Coloring is rich, accentuating natural beauty of the leather
Feel (or Hand)	Leather feels harder, colder, stiffer	Buttery soft, warms quickly, inviting

So, simply put, finished leather color is from a pigment coating on the leather, whereas unfinished is from a dye in the leather. Finished leather is stain and fade resistant but lacks deep richness in color, and tends to be stiffer. Unfinished leather is soft and natural-looking but fades and stains readily. Unfinished leather tends to be more expensive. This graphic depicts the difference between finished and unfinished.

Note that the topical coating can range from thin to thick. If there is a very light color or clear coat on top of aniline-dyed leather, it is often referred to as “semi-aniline.” Semi-aniline leather offers modest protection while retaining much of the aesthetic beauty of an unfinished aniline-dyed leather.

Storage, cleaning and conditioning of leather

Keeping your leather under the right storage conditions, cleaning and conditioning it regularly and correctly will ensure it lasts right through generations. If not cared for properly, leather may be affected and /or damaged irreparably by mold (leather's number 1 enemy!) and other vices.

Storage

Again, just like your own skin, leather is averse to extremes. Any extreme conditions with regards to heat or cold and dryness or humidity will damage your leather. Some of the resulting damages from neglecting the storage conditions are to an extent repairable but one would much rather avoid the damage altogether. In the instances were the damage is reversible, it is not often that your leather will be restored to the exact condition it was to begin with. To be safe, keep your leather item in a room temperature, well aerated environment and you shouldn't have any problems.

Cleaning

Usually, all that is needed to clean your leather is a damp cloth using warm soapy water made with a gentle cleanser like baby shampoo or preferably store bought leather cleaners. Common leathers like Suede and Nubuck (also an underside leather) will be cleaned adequately using suede cleaners or suede shampoos while top-/full-grain can be cleaned using similar shampoos and balms. Patent leathers are often sufficiently cleaned using a wet rag dipped in plain water. 

 

Basic guidelines to clean your leather are as follows:

1. Rub the leather with a soft cloth to produce a lather in any area you want to clean. Wipe away any excess lather with a dry cloth. 
2. Allow leather to dry flat in a warm place out of direct sunlight and away from a strong heat source (fire, heater, stove, etc.).
3. Should any substantial cleaning be required it is usually advisable to take it to professionals to do the job for you. Do NOT throw your leather item into a washing machine, the various chemicals your washing machine may still have inside it may damage your leather and the process of using a washing machine to clean leather is all too complicated and too risky to carry out correctly at home.

Each time you do clean your leather you will need to condition it.

Conditioning

Leather contains often contains tanning oils that preserve it which are depleted over time. Conditioning is thus necessary to replace these oils and avoid your leather becoming too dry, stiff or cracked. Hundreds of leather conditioners/leather oils are available on the market, just be sure to read the label to ensure you are buying the correct one for your leather. Home made conditioners may be made too although intricate knowledge of your leather and the chemical compositions of your homemade conditioner will be necessary; you will need to know what you're doing. A few guidelines are important to follow when conditioning your leather:

1. Do NOT use leather conditioners that contain waxes or silicone which do not allow your leather to breathe.
2. Always use a lint free soft cloth when conditioning leather; microfiber cloths are ideal. NEVER apply conditioner directly to the leather, apply to cloth first.
3. Dampen the cloth with water before applying the conditioner to it so that there is not too much conditioner applied to the leather.
4. Apply conditioner to leather by gently rubbing into the leather until the entire surface has been covered.
5. Several light applications are preferred over a heavy soaking of conditioner.
6. Allow conditioner to penetrate the leather for at least 30 minutes before applying another coat.

To keep your leather healthy, clean and condition it when it is soiled and generally condition it every 6-9 months and avoid getting it soaked in anything.



 

A couple of winter looks

Rounded two-tone brown suede handbag ($120)

Medium sized light blue suede handbag ($120)