You probably first saw bubbly Betty Beenzu Bulongo Chilonde in a music video as part of the band Mu vi Posse.
She was that serene voice singing the love song, ‘I got you’ which shaped many romances and teenage crushes.
Betty is now a prolific designer and Creative Director/Milliner of Bulongo clothing (Buloz pieces) .
For those who don’t know who a milliner is, it is someone who makes hats.
I remember when I was young my mother would be decked out in these fancy dresses with a matching hat.
That was cool for me so imagine when I met Betty and found that we had a Zambian woman making hats.
Her foray into designing was spurred by her music career: “I would come up with patterns to wear  on stage and ask my cousin, a seamstress to sew them (I was about 16 years old).Eventually I took a break from the music to concentrate on fashion designing later training for it.”
She however admits that her passion might have started earlier during her needle work in home economics days.
“Then it was just a hobby but thinking back I realise that could be about the time I started.”
She describes how she initially began making hats crediting a woman who was willing to mentor her.
“Naturally am not a girly girl (by that I mean wearing weaves and all) and I love my African head wraps. On one of my visits to Ghana, I came across this hat shop at Accra Mall, I spent such a long time admiring the hats and asking  a lot of questions until the owner asked where I was from.
I had only a day left in Ghana so I got her card and later when I had properly organised myself I went back to Ghana to be trained by her. I thought it would be a great idea to incorporate the hats in my collections to add on to the head wraps”
She admits that there are a lot of challenges in Zambia as many people opt for head wraps unlike hats.
“ Another area is that raw materials used in the construction of hats are not locally available making it very difficult to  price , I try to mix the art with what the client is used to, slowly encouraging the hat wearing tradition.”
Her target for both clothes and hats is ordinary women or brides, who are brave enough to flaunt their beauty while remaining true to the earth and dignity as well as men who want to experience true luxury sewn especially for them.
Her labels name;  “Bulongo“ is a Tonga name meaning soil (earth), which  is generally where you find all the good stuff and a mixture of different objects adding to the beauty of the world .
It is the concrete part of the world, something stable which holds things together.
“I decided to name the label after me because I couldn’t think of a better name that would represent the rich cultural influence and diversity of Bulongo clothing.”
She has showcased at the Zambia fashion weeks, Mozambique fashion week, and commercial trade exhibitions locally and abroad and has managed to set up the first ever fashion incubator for fashion and creative arts in Zambia, saying this is something that every aspiring fashion designer has been waiting for.
Her outfits are inspired by culture, colour, shape and love yet she describes her personal style as easy simple and comfortable.
“You’ll mostly see me walk out of my house with a head wrap (duku) or shaggy hair without a care in the world.”
Betty says that the next decade will see her at a more developed stage in terms of production, methods and technology infusion in the production of her fashion lines
Her style advice to men is the following: Just go for Afrocentric clothesjust make sure it’s your size.
She says a killer outfit depends on the occasion and what statement you want to make at that time;” I believe the killer outfit carries both the maker and the wearer’s energy.
These things have to blend to make a killer outfit and bring out the inner beauty of the one wearing it so choose the right fabric, tone, shade and texture.
That’s why she creates clothes that speak to individuals and allows them to fully express themselves and “fit in” without feeling out of place.
“I work with my clients, interpret and improve ideas then sew them together to create luxury and memories that last forever.”
She quotes different designers such as Chisanga Kapumpa, Charity Nyirongo, Fay, Reuben and Mickley all of them talented and passionate designers.
Betty says that the main challenge in the fashion industry is lack of seriousness, commitment and skill among some workers.
To get hold of Betty email her at bettybulongo@gmail.com and on facebook at Buloz Fashion House.
That’s it for this week, email me nchobwa@gmail.com and read up on my blog arushapot.blogspot.com follow my exploits on twitter and Instagram @Arushapot. Stay beautiful.