November 21, 2024
The glamorous grandma from Zambia becomes a fashion icon

The glamorous grandma from Zambia becomes a fashion icon

To her friends and neighbors in rural Zambia, Margret Chola is simply a charming grandmother with a penchant for oversized sunglasses.

But online she is a fashion legend with 200,000 Instagram fans – after her granddaughter lent her clothes for a cheeky photo shoot series.

Ms Chola, in her 80s, shot to internet fame after agreeing to swap outfits with her granddaughter and pose for a few snaps in eye-catching turquoise dresses and silver pantsuits.

The photos immediately caused a stir on Instagram and received thousands of likes within minutes of being posted on the social media site.

Margret Chola, green dress, large sunglasses, gold chainMargret Chola, green dress, large sunglasses, gold chain

Ms Chola’s photos received thousands of likes within minutes of being posted – @luxuryphotographyzambia

During a photo shoot, Ms Chola, who lives on a farm north of the Zambian capital Lusaka, poses on a leather sofa wearing a blonde wig and wearing large green sunglasses.

She was also photographed wearing her granddaughter’s chitenge, a patterned garment worn around the waist.

“I wasn’t doing anything at the time, so I just said, ‘Okay. If that’s what you want to do, then we’ll do it – why not?'” Ms Chola said in an interview with the BBC, recalling the moment her granddaughter came up with the idea. “You’ll miss me when I die, and at least you’ll think of me this way.”

Ms Chola shot to internet fame after she swapped outfits with her granddaughter and posed in eye-catching dresses and pantsuitsMs Chola shot to internet fame after she swapped outfits with her granddaughter and posed in eye-catching dresses and pantsuits

Ms Chola shot to internet stardom after swapping outfits with her granddaughter, posing in eye-catching dresses and pantsuits – @luxuryphotographyzambia

Ms. Chola’s granddaughter is Diana Kaumba, a New York-based stylist who was visiting Zambia to celebrate the second anniversary of her father’s death when she was struck by inspiration.

“I thought it would be nice to dress up Mbuya [grandmother] in high fashion and then photograph them in their natural habitat,” she told the BBC.

“I was so nervous when I posted the first photo. I left my phone for 10 minutes and in those 10 minutes there were 1,000 likes. I was overwhelmed. The comments started coming in and people were asking for more,” she added.

Margret Chola, white shirt, Prada tie, sunglasses, large straw hatMargret Chola, white shirt, Prada tie, sunglasses, large straw hat

Ms Chola said: “You will miss me when I die and at least you will remember me this way” – @luxuryphotographyzambia

In one photo, Ms Chola even appears next to a goat, wearing a gold crown, sunglasses and a royal jacket with gold buttons.

The photo was captioned “GOAT,” a playful acronym for “greatest of all time” used by Generation Z.

Ms Chola told the BBC she hoped the photoshoots would inspire her Instagram fans to “live their lives and not worry about being judged by society”.

People should also “always forgive each other for any mistakes you have made,” she advised. “You can never change your past, but you can change your future.”

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