Zambian Designer, Nkanda Yatu will make his first appearance on a European fashion runway with a new collection that aims to highlight Zambian culture through fashion.
The prominent Zambian fashion house has been invited to showcase at the Milan Fashion Week in Italy to an audience of global participants and leaders in fashion on 23 September 2022 at the Palazzo in Milan City. Fashion Week Studio, the organizers of the Fashion Week is a company based in Los Angeles that presents various international designers during Fashion Week at the Palazzo in Milan and at the Ritz in Paris. The aim of the international fashion showcase is to introduce different cultures from multiple continents to broaden the fashion scope and promote emerging fashion talent across the globe.
Since the introduction of his fashion label in 2017, Kabaso Nkandu has created an undeniable footprint in the African fashion space for his unique talent in merging African designs with a modern twist. As a fashion designer, Nkandu Kabaso boasts of many accolades for dressing influential personalities at home and abroad, including this recent invitation to showcase at one of Europe’s most reputable runways, the Milan Fashion Week. Nkanda Yatu is an impressive local brand, having been showcased on major international fashion runways in Botswana, Namibia, and in Zambia. “Presenting Zambian fashion at international platforms has a significant impact on our creative economy, a sector of the market that I believe has the potential to bring value addition to the overall Zambian economy.” Said Mr Nkandu Kabaso, Head Designer of Nkanda Yatu.
As a young boy growing up in Mwansabombwe, Nkandu Kabaso had always dreamed of becoming a top fashion designer in Zambia. Coming from a rural background with very little exposure to modern fashion, he harnessed his skill in fashion design by using local textiles such as chitenge to communicate African stories through his clothing. It did not take him much longer in his fashion career for Nkanda Yatu to become a well-recognized brand in the country. “I come from a family that appreciated good clothing despite any financial struggle. In my humble beginnings, I learned to make clothes from a sewing machine in the markets of Mwansabombwe. I am grateful for the local and international support that I have received throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I believe that this particular showcase in Milan will aid in the growth and exposure of Zambian fashion” said Nkandu Kabaso.