Still raising the fashion bar

    Ekaree

Malawi is one of the countries whose fashion industry is still in its infancy. But despite the slow steps that the country is taking, there are few key players who have kept the dream of making Malawi a fashion powerhouse alive.

One of those players is Ekaree Daniella who has kept pushing the boundaries to make her mark in the fashion world.

“I draw my inspiration from people’s personalities and from my perspective of what would help bring out the best in them. I blend our traditional prints into forward-thinking designs to show the world that Africa fashion is ready to take up space,” said Daniella 

Describing her journey, Daniella, who has been a designer for the past six years, said most of her designs are unique and tailor-made for individuals.

“No two people wear the same print and design,” she said.

Her journey as a fashion designer has taken her to African Fashion and Arts Festival in 2017 and 2019. She has also worked with brands such as Castel Malawi.

“While I was a psychology student, I used to author a blog which was all about my fashion thoughts. I would make outfits which my friends would model in and take photographs which later I would share on the blog,” said Daniella.

She said during her first major fashion showcase at the African Fashion and Arts Festival in 2017, she was humbled to receive recognition from one of her role models in the industry, Lilly Alfonso

“When my runway set was completed, I received a standing ovation and acknowledgement from Lily Alfonso. Lily being the matriarch of fashion and design, I was humbled. This showed me that I belong here and this is my comfort zone,” said the designer.

She also won the UMP Award as best designer in 2018. Daniella said it is a dream come true since the award targets all artists from Africa.

Daniella said her UMP win helped to raise her profile and she is now appreciated in Malawi and hopes the Zikomo Award will expose her to the continent.