Margret Chola went from being a kind and unassuming grandmother who wore traditional clothing to being a fashion star, and how! Thanks to her quirky style and big sunglasses, Margret, a grandma from a small Zambian community, has accumulated hundreds of thousands of social media followers.
Margret Chola, an endearing old lady who loves big sunglasses, had no idea what a day of casual clothing exchange with her granddaughter would bring. Chola has gained over 225,000 Instagram followers thanks to her daring and fun fashion ideas, sweeping the digital world.
Her granddaughter, Diana Kaumba, a stylist from New York, started her unexpected foray into the fashion industry in 2023 when she traveled to Zambia to mark the second anniversary of her father’s death. After seeing that she hadn’t worn many of the clothes she had brought for her vacation, Diana, who has been a stylist for more than ten years, thought it would be fun to switch wardrobes with her grandma.
Margret, affectionately known as “Mbuya” in her native Bemba, consented to put on the clothing, which resulted in a life-altering picture session.
A combination of classic and modern techniques were used in the first picture session. In stark contrast, Mbuya dazzled in a shimmering silver pantsuit, while Diana donned her grandmother’s chitenge (traditional African fabric) and shirt. Their remote community just outside of Lusaka served as the setting for the elegant but simple photographs, which went viral right away.
Diana remembers being overwhelmed by the reaction in a BBC interview, mentioning that their first shot had 1,000 likes within 10 minutes of being posted. Globally, people started requesting more, and Mbuya’s internet adventure had officially started.
Her bold use of color, texture, and style blending is what distinguishes Mbuya from other fashion influencers. Wearing large hats, striking necklaces, and ornate crowns, as well as a green American football jersey and a ruffled red skirt reminiscent of the Zambian flag, are just a few examples of Mbuya’s maximalist fashion choices.
Her outfits fully embrace excess, fusing colors and patterns that may not appear conventional to others but always manage to seem effortlessly stylish.
