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Prevalent Sithole

Tawanda Marwizi Arts Correspondent
Is upcoming musician and fashion designer Prevalent Sithole, Zimbabwe’s own version of Lady Gaga?

Lady Gaga is one musician who always amazes people with her unique dresses.

At one point she wore a dress made of raw meat at the MTV Awards which caused a stir with her fans and each time the pop star releases an album her fans have much to be exited for in terms of her fashion.

Sithole has a number of unique costumes; some made of vegetables and others out of newspapers.

Unlike most of us, Sithole does not throw away vegetables and fruits that are past their prime and no longer desirable for the pot or table.

She takes them and makes her special dresses.

To accesorise these green creations she adorns herself with earrings made of carrots and neck chains of strung up apples.

It’s just amazing!

“I believe everything is useful and cannot just be thrown away. Paanenge akunzi haachanyatsoita pakubika (when they are said to be unsuitable for the pot) that is when I take them for my dresses,” she said.

Sithole says she is not looking at starting a new street trend of genuine plant wear as she has not figured a way to keep her designs fresh, pun fully intended.

“Obviously you cannot put the dress in your fridge.

I only design them for special occasions and they last only a day,” laughed the designer.

As if vegetable dresses are not enough she also makes skirts made of newspapers.

“In fashion we say originality is our mood and that is the base of any designer’s success,” she said.

She took The Herald Entertainment through the process of making these unique dresses.

“I just take vegetables and put them together. The only difference with cloth dress is that it has no lining. As for newspapers I roll them and put a special cloth that becomes the waste,” she said.

In 2013 Sithole won an originality award at ZMCA designer’s awards in Bulawayo.

“It was a milestone for me because originality is the way to go in fashion,” she said.

It all started when she was young in Mutare. She used to tear up her favourite clothes making some ‘useless’ things.

“It was useless by then but I later realised that I was just sharpening the talent God gave me,” she said.

“Doing a four year diploma in fashion at Bulawayo Polytechnic was the natural complement to her talent.

“Everyone at home agreed that I should go for that course because of my works,” she said.

She said art was in her and last month she released an album titled “Ndivhumbamirei Changamire”.

“Our choir master at school encouraged me to have an album. He always admires my voice when singing and that alone gave me the courage,” she said.

Sithole said balancing fashion designing is easy for her because she is an artist.

“Every artist would agree with me that it is easy to balance two careers.

“That is why you see some artists hold down a formal job while pursuing their talent at the same time,” she said.