By Marie N Carnu
Margret Chola, an 85-year-old grandmother in rural areas in Zambia, East Africa, has risen to fame after stunning social media with fashion.
She has become a sensation online after agreeing to play dress-up and swap outfits with her fashionist granddaughter.
She lives in a rural area 10 miles north of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Her Instagram page, “Legendary Glamma,” has gained 225,000 followers for her striking and playful fashion photographs.
“I feel different; I feel new and alive in these clothes, in a way that I’ve never felt before,” Chola told the BBC.
“I feel like I can conquer the world!” she added.
Fashion Journey
Chola was brought into the fashion world by her granddaughter Diana Kaumba, a stylist based in New York City, United States of America. She is said to have created the Granny Series in 2023, the media has reported.
According to foreign media, the idea was nursed when she was visiting Zambia to mark the second anniversary of the death of her father—the person she says inspired her passion for fashion because he always dressed well.
During that visit, Kaumba had not worn all her carefully curated outfits, so she asked her grandmother if she wanted to try them on.
“I wasn’t doing anything at the time, so I just said, ‘OK. If that’s what you want to do, let’s do it—why not?'” Chola said in an interview with the BBC.
“You will miss me when I die, and at least this way, you will remember me,” she added.
Most often, Chola is photographed in all her glamour, often sitting on an elegant wooden chair or lounging on a leather sofa.
Fashion Star on the Internet
According to Chola’s granddaughter, when her pictures landed on the internet, the reaction of users was amazing.
“I was so nervous when I posted that first photo. I left my phone for 10 minutes, and in those 10 minutes, there were 1,000 likes,” Kaumba said.
“My mind was blown. The comments were flying in, and people were asking for more.”
The reactions of internet users marvelled at Chola, who said, “It surprised me to hear that so many people around the world love me.”
“I didn’t know I could make such an impact at this age,” she said.
Chola poses in clothes that are a mix of vibrant colours, textures, and styles: from a green American football jersey, combined with a layered frilly red dress styled as a skirt—in the colours of the Zambian flag to pay homage to 60 years of independence—to a blue, black, and green sequined top, complete with a golden snake necklace and bracelet, and Mbuya’s personal favourite—jeans, a graphic T-shirt with her image on the front, and a blonde wig.
At the heart of it all are eye-catching accessories: bold sunglasses, oversized hats, necklaces, bracelets, pendants, rings, gloves, bags, blonde wigs,
