Upon researching the future of fashion in Malawi, I discovered that the cream of the crop is a fabric commonly known as chitenge, but locally pronounced ‘chitenje’. Not only is this brightly printed fabric part of people’s day-to-day lives, but it is also an integral textile export and fashion notion. Exploring the significance of chitenje in this country brought me into dialogue with creative business entrepreneurs whose experiences and thoughts have been documented in this film.

What does a fashion designer, a computer science student and a operations manager have in common? They are all attempting to create chitenje narratives that are relevant to where they come from and that might ignite a new spark in the fashion and textile industry. The cultural phenomena of chitenje sees people from completely different backgrounds trying to create a more localised chitenje texture and innovate local textiles that truly speak to the 21 century Malawian.

The message worn is already powerful, but what if we could tell our own story with one piece of clothing? What would our story be and how will we control that narrative? What do we want the world to know about our people and ourselves? These are the questions that spur on these innovators to continue their chitenje journey.

Read the Fashion Futures report on the UK here
Read the Fashion Futures report on Zimbabwe here
Read the Fashion Futures report on Namibia here
Read an overview of the Fashion Futures project in association with the British Council, Chenesai and Nataal here

Words, film and illustrations Leah Misika

Visit British Council Southern African Arts
Visit Chenesai

Published on 13/11/2019