FASHION & BEAUTY

Doreen Mashika is a designer who fuses traditional African print and technique with contemporary Western style to create unique cosmopolitan pieces.

FASHION DESIGNER OF THE MONTH “DOREEN MASHIKA” The Zanzibar Fashion Guru

When the colours mix on a fabric to form bold, vibrant designs, you get a stunning African print. Tanzanian designers are not letting that opportunity pass, they use all their imagination to create such masterpieces. They are claiming the fashion industry stage from the Swahili Fashion Week in Dar es Salaam to the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in South Africa. Tanzanian designers have pushed the boundaries with a simple “Kitenge” leaving masterpieces in their wake.

Dar Life will be dedicating this section every month to young emerging designers and wellknown designers who want to create brands and who want to use the fashion platform as a stepping stone towards achieving their dream.

This month we were able to meet Doreen Mashika whose ideas in designing fashion clothes and accessories are amazing, you must watch out!

Doreen Mashika was born and raised in Tanzania, studied and worked in Switzerland, and is now part of a growing homeward bound African diaspora. While in Switzerland she began her career in finance, working in a team that

specialized in luxury goods fund management. This is where she had her first contact with the fashion industry and designers, providing her a unique insight and appreciation of the sector. Inspired by a deep sense of affection for the cultural heritage and wealth of design possibilities in Africa, she returned to Tanzania and settled in Zanzibar to pursue her passion of design while building a successful company.

Today she is proud to present fashion made in Zanzibar to the world, showcasing sleek and cutting-edge designs rooted in bold colours, motifs and handcrafted accents.