At just 23 years old, Robby Kimmel has established himself as a trailblazer in Zimbabwe’s fashion industry. As the founder of the Victoria Falls Fashion Festival, he has created a unique platform to showcase creativity in Matabeleland North.

The inspiration for the festival came from Zimbabwe’s renowned Skeyi & Strobo Fabrik Party, an international fashion show held across the country during various seasons. This event’s mission to amplify youth voices and contemporary culture sparked Robby’s vision for his own fashion showcase.

“A month before the Victoria Falls Fashion Festival, I attended the Skeyi & Strobo Fabrik Party in Harare. It inspired me to bring something similar to Victoria Falls,” Robby shared.

Ironically, Victoria Falls was initially set to host Zimbabwe’s largest fashion event, Zimbabwe Fashion Week, but it was moved to Harare and eventually canceled. Determined to fill the gap, Robby collaborated with designers who were supposed to headline Zimbabwe Fashion Week and created a new platform to present their work to local residents and the world.

“Two of my friends, who are fashion designers, were meant to showcase at Zimbabwe Fashion Week. When it got canceled, I felt terrible for them after all their hard work. That’s when I decided to step in and create this opportunity,” Robby explained.

According to Robby, one of the reasons Victoria Falls was chosen as the festival’s location was the lack of creative events in the area. He wanted to inspire young people in the community to realize their potential and see creativity as both enjoyable and profitable.

“Unlike other cities in Zimbabwe with thriving creative scenes, Victoria Falls had little happening in terms of fashion and design. One of my goals was to give young people access to creative tools and show them that creativity can also be a viable career path,” he said.

In addition to his work in fashion, Robby is the founder of the non-profit PUSH Project, which provides access to skateboarding for underserved communities worldwide. The project also collaborates with local artists to showcase unique perspectives on the sport.

For the Victoria Falls Fashion Festival, Robby brought this vision to life by involving his skateboarding club members in the runway show.

“Our skate club has over 250 members, with around 60 kids practicing daily. I chose the club captains to model in the PUSH Project runway show, styling them in our baggy jeans, hats, sunglasses, and unique T-shirt designs,” he explained.

Robby revealed that plans are already underway for the next major fashion event in May 2025. Partnering with the Victoria Falls Food & Wine Festival, this four-day celebration will feature leading wineries from South Africa and top chefs from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa.

“With an expected audience of 5,000 people, the fashion show on the main day will likely be the largest fashion event in Zimbabwe’s history,” he announced.

In addition to large-scale events, Robby aims to organize smaller monthly gatherings to sustain the momentum.

“We want to keep giving young people access to creative tools, support emerging designers, and cultivate collaboration. Our first monthly event is set for the first weekend of December. This is just the beginning—we’re lighting a flame that we hope will spread across the entire country and beyond,” he said.

Through his efforts, Robby Kimmel is not only redefining the fashion scene in Zimbabwe but also inspiring a new generation of creatives. By combining passion, innovation, and community-driven initiatives, he is proving that creativity has the power to transform lives and uplift communities.