Born in Dar es Salaam 1977, The young Khadija Saad Mwanamboka has grown to become one of the most renowned fashion designers in the country. After completion of her formal education, first at Olympio English Medium Primary school and then Shabaan Robert Secondary School, Khadija trained in computer courses but found herself going back to her childhood dream of becoming a fashion designer.
She started designing clothes in 1994 but her big break came in November 1996, When she founded her own fashion designing company called Khadija Collections Fashion Design Studio.
The young designer shot to fame after her first fashion show at the Diamond Jubilee Hall in late 1996. Titled "The Night of Style and Dances" the show featured a mixed variety of modern designs in local materials such as Khanga, Batik and Vitenge and Tie and Dye. Then came the "Talent Nite" at the Club Billicanas in July 1997.
Subsequently after the "Boombastic Fashion Show" held at Kilimanjaro Hotel in September 1997, Kahdija was invited to Zanzibar Islands where her Khanga nad Batik designs were displayed by models at the Fisherman's Resort at a formal function to mark the Celebrations of Idd El Fitr.
After a short period of hard working, Khadija found herself in the centre of the country's fashion and designs spotlight almost overnight. Her finest moment came in August 1998 during the crowning of Miss Tanzania 98, Basila Mwanukuzi, where she designed the pageant queen with the magic winning wardrobe including the accessories.
In November 1998, Khadija (20) was the only Tanzanian designer who was invited by Leticia Nyerere at her "MAMA AFRICA" Fashion show apart from the South African designers, Khadija also designed a wardrobe for Model Miriam Odemba, who represented Africa in the Elite Model Look Of The Year. She tried to make International Musicians put on her designs, so far she has designed shirts for the Reggae singer Innocent Galinoma from USA and Kofi Olomide, a Congolese musician, when they performed in the country.
Last year (1999) Khadija (21) came up with a brilliant idea of staging a " FASHION EXTRAVAGANZA 99" which gave an opportunity to all the local designers to work together for the first time in the Fashion industry in the country. The main objective of the show was to promote and display Tanzanian designs apart from creating awareness of Fashion designing so as to expand the fashion industry in Tanzania.
On her creations Khadija deals with strictly down to earth African clothing such as Khanga, Batik, Vitenge and Tie&Dye materials which are locally made and available. Khadija is one of the breed of the current pioneers on the local fashion front who have re-introduced the splendor and glamour of African clothes back to where it once belonged.
She has taken it back to the centre of the peoples hearts and is making waves. Khadija has once again sized the opportunity to reap from the local textile production, she has an exotic collection of men's shirts which have both a typical African feel and identity.
The shirts, which come in different shades are made of Batik and Tie&Dye materials. The bottom are exclusively made from cow bones, sea-shells and coc-nut shells splashed in different shades of brown and mahogany, giving them an antique finish.
Khadija's sense of style, creativity and imagination, have curved her a unique notch on the list of Tanzania's fashion designers. In short, Khadija is one of the country's youngest, talented female fashion designers.
Know Her Hobbies:
Khadija, a friendly, caring, a very ambitious girl, is fond of talking, a music lovers and of course, designing clothes and organizing fashion shows.
Her Message:
To do anything that you want to do, is the strength of human will, so success or failure may change people's attitude towards you, but the can't change your destiny and they certainly can't change you as a person. (This is what I had in mind when I started out 1996).
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