On 11 February 2017, Sam Levy’s Village played host to the first Fashion Designers Expo (FDE) in Harare. This was the second edition, with the first being held at Nesbitt Castle in the city of Kings, Bulawayo last year. FDE is unique in that it brings together people from the fashion world with the goal of raising funds for the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe. It is also the first charity event to use a mobile app for fundraising in Zimbabwe. The theme for the event was “Fashion fights Cancer.” Fashion Designers Expo Zimbabwe is the brainchild of Aisha DeBeer. She lost her grandmother to cancer and this inspired her to do something to bring hope to others affected by the disease. Webgems was a proud sponsor for this event, having developed the official Fashion Designers Expo app for android.
The main goal of this mobile app was to assist in fundraising. It provides a quick and easy way for people to make donations using their mobile phones. This is especially relevant in light of the cash shortage that Zimbabwe is currently facing. It is also very timely in light of the general trend of increased use of smartphones and mobile money. The secondary goals of the app were to provide a quick reference for attendees to see information about the models and designers that participated in the Fashion Expo.
Fashion Designers Expo Event Mobile App Features
The main feature of the app was the donations page. This allowed users to donate straight to the Cancer Association with a few taps on their phones. Overall, Fashion Designers Expo managed to raise over $1,000 for cancer patients in Zimbabwe.
The app also featured profile pages for the various dancers, models, and designers who participated in the expo. Designer profiles also included information on the various collections that the designers were showcasing. The app provided a unique level of interactivity where attendees could access information about the models and designers as they watched the show.
The event was well attended by some celebrity personalities including Master of Ceremonies Author Evans, popular news anchor Rumbidzai “newsbae” Takawira among many others. Overall, it was an amazing night of fashion and glamor punctuated with inspiring stories from cancer survivors. There was a beautiful candle lit vigil by the models as a tribute to the loved ones we lost to the dreadful disease called cancer. Watch the video below for highlights from the Fashion Designers Expo.
Even though the event is over, there is the Bulawayo edition coming up in August 2017. In the meantime, you can still download the app and make a difference by donating to the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe. Remember, every dollar counts and will help save lives.
