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June 28, 2004 Posted to the web June 28, 2004 Jonathan Mbiriyamveka Harare THE Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo held an amazing fashion show last week at the National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe. The well-attended fashion show featured a collection of garments ranging from summer to winter wear made out of some DRC fabrics. Some of the eye-catching garments were quite revealing and in most cases the models from the DRC turned heads as they strutted their stuff. The models swung from left, right and centre against the background of rhumba music much to the enjoyment of the crowd. The garments were designs by Therese Taylor from the DRC and resident in Zimbabwe. The decor, ramp and everything on the show reflected on the lives of both men and women and the culture of the Congolese. Celia Winter Irving who is the curator at the National Art Gallery said the DRC was the leader of fashion in Africa and one of the fashion leaders in the world. She said the trends in fashion taken up by other African countries emerged from the DRC. "Fashion in the DRC absorbs the lives of both men and women and since traditional times a fashion industry has been well established. "The DRC is a country of style in what is worn, how life is lived and in the importance of popular culture in people's lives," she said. The DRC ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Mawampanga Mwana Nanga, hailed the fashion show saying it would go a long way in promoting people to people co-operation. He said his country was happy to co-operate with Zimbabwe in the field of culture and art. Alongside the fashion show was an exhibition of paintings by DRC artists that displayed the life in the village of the central African country cut off by distance and time from modern living. The dwellers of the places are, however, presented as people with an original identity engulfed with an air of happiness and contentment with their livelihood. There are paintings that depict the dense exotic forests with flowers and climbing plants on the tropical rainforests of the country. The country's culture was also presented in some of the paintings in the form of masks worn on traditional ceremonies showing ancient creativity. The works were done by some of the well known artists in DRC who have put the arts industry of that country on the world art map. Some works would be on display up to Wednesday. The Mulindwas Communication Group "With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" |
