Chola Lungu Mutoni
Chola Lungu Mutoni is a 2014 Mandela Washington Fellow, which is President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative, she was trained at University of Texas in Austin, USA in Business Entrepreneurship and Leadership. She holds a BA in Politics & Sociology from Rhodes University, in South Africa, and a Certificate in Diplomatic Practice, Protocol and Public Relations from ZIDIS. She also holds a certificate in Model/Celebrity Management from Model Management in Pretoria, South Africa. Chola began her career in the fashion industry in 1999 as a model for Extravaganza Modeling Agency in Namibia. She has been designing afrocentric clothes for over a decade but only launched her label, Poleka in 2013 at Zambia Fashion Week. Poleka means to explode and in Zambian slang, it means to look really good. Poleka designs are inspired by local and international cultures, fabric textures, and lifestyles. Anyone who has followed Poleka since 2013 knows that Chola rarely repeats collections. Her work over the years has produced effortless and wearable garments, that reflect unique combinations of regional and international lifestyles and culture. Chola believes in the importance of investing in the next generation, inspiring others and giving back. When she is not designing, she works as an Independent Communications Consultant. She also runs Katuntulu, which is an organization that focuses on empowering youth.