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Betty Chilonde\u2019s path to success took various twists and turns, but it started when she was a little girl. \u201cI\u2019m the second-last born in a family of ten children. My parents had a lot of dependants besides us, sometimes it was difficult to stand out as an individual. It wasn\u2019t easy to express myself, as I seemed to be swallowed up in the group. It was always easier to keep myself busy with a book or doing music, which was the only way I could express myself at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although she was originally a shy girl, a chance event while she was in high school led to her joining a Zambia band called MUVI POSSE. \u201cWhen I was singing for MUVI POSSE, I did not have money to buy expensive dresses, so I looked through magazines and tried to design what I thought was fashionable for the stage. I looked to the likes of Miriam Makeba, Brenda Fassie, and our own Zambian music champion, Maureen Lupo Lilanda, then emulated their styles.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eventually, the time came where she had to decide whether to continue with the band or to further her education.\u00a0 \u201cWhile I loved my music career, the fame that came with it did not translate into money, so I had to get my education.\u201d Still, her time with Muvi Posse<\/strong> had given her a way forward. \u201cMy friends and family saw the clothes I wore while in the band and wanted to buy some for themselves. So I borrowed my mother\u2019s sewing machine and started making clothes. I used some of the money I made to put food on the table and saved the rest. In time, I had enough saved to enroll into college and pursue accounting.\u201d<\/p>\n A rather unexpected and disappointing obstacle proved to be the catalyst to her growing her business. \u201cAfter making dresses for family and friends for a while, I noticed a trend that quite a few of them weren\u2019t paying the price I asked, or took too long to pay me. The business suffered because of this, so I decided to face my fear of making new customers. I knew that I needed to look more professional if I wanted to succeed, so I moved my business out of my home and into a small shop.\u201d This decision gained her new exposure and new clients, and soon she was saving for her next big step. \u201cI figured with more knowledge, I\u2019d be more competitive and able to make better quality clothes. This made me decide to invest in a fashion and design course.\u201d After her studies, she launched Black Forest by Bulongo Clothing<\/strong>, a brand that features luxury clothes and accessories made from locally grown and woven fabric. \u201cIt is intended to revive the African dress culture to instill confidence and pride.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty now works with two seamstresses and a weaver she consults to create her fashion lines, and their creations have gone on to be shown at major fashion events worldwide. \u201cI am proud to have started and managed a business for more than 10 years, as well as getting on the global platform by showcasing at prestigious events such as the Paris Fashion Reception, Roma Fashion Week, Zambia Fashion Week and many others.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the success of her brand, Betty still faces her share of challenges, as the Zambian fashion industry is still in the early phases of its development. \u201cI struggle to find skilled labor, but my biggest challenge to date has been finding customized or tailored financial injections to upscale my production.\u201d Learning from her own struggles and experiences as an artist, she decided to establish the Bulongo Incubator for Fashion and the Creative Arts. \u201cArtisans and other creatives in Zambia are stifled, first by their own families and then by the community. Everybody expects their child to be a doctor, or pilot. Art is considered to be for academically challenged individuals. I felt pained to see so much talent go to waste in young people. They need support and structure to allow them to thrive.<\/p>\n Regardless of the obstacles she faces, she has the right stuff it takes to have a lasting impact on Zambia\u2019s fashion industry. \u201cI see myself as having a brand that will be recognized for quality, originality and consistency. Bulongo Clothing will be a steady employer that will encourage and embrace ideas from every team player. As someone who is very passionate about the growth of the textile and art sector in Zambia, I hope to start engaging policy makers through the incubator and make them understand the importance of preserving dress culture for our people.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_0146-copy-copy-400x267.jpg\")
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