The Legendary Glamma:
Margaret Chola
Style is a love language.
We all learn fashion and style from somewhere and in the Kaumba family, the patriarch, Charles Kaumba perpetuated a unique style that a young Diana soaked up and long after his passing, an essence of him remains in his daughter as she merges fashion and art with history, time and space. With her grandmother, Margaret Chola, the duo challenges societal beliefs about African identity, age and the perception of beauty.
Margaret dons the bright red dress with the white stripes that her granddaughter pulls over her head and sits in the chair the ‘kids’ dragged from the dining room and positioned in front of the half-finished servants quarter. She sighs lightly, as another drapes the third gold chain around her neck. She begins to wonder what she has gotten herself mixed with when the photographer demonstrates a pose to her from that magazine. She mirrors him and effortlessly commands the camera’s gaze, unaware that tomorrow, the whole world, including the likes of Erykah Badu, would know her name.
“When something is meant to happen, you can just feel it,” Dee recalls.
Never predictable, Diana Kaumba, better known as Dee, is meticulous, detailed, and generous in her speaking, ensuring she understands as much as she is understood. Her style is stirring, unapologetically avant-garde—a refreshing departure from the conformity of today’s fashion.
Safe fashion is boring.
Despite the 30-year age gap between them, Margaret’s journey into fashion began long after her granddaughter’s. “When I was younger, I used to love dressing up. But as I grew older, my interest began to fade. I never lost my love for my bangles and pearls, which I wear every day—I feel incomplete without them. But I know I still have it because I can still match prints, which I love”.
With her granddaughter by her side, they create a dialogue between high fashion and Zambian culture, integrating household objects like pipes, mbaula (brazier), and ibende (mortar and pestle) in their shoots. The rich contrast of couture against bleeding red soils, well-worn furniture, and concrete construction sites challenges notions of perceived beauty. With a playful spirit and a willingness to colour outside the lines, Margaret embodies a timeless elegance that her granddaughter honours with each ensemble. Together, they craft a narrative of resilience and beauty, reminding us all that self-love and creativity are ageless pursuits.
Margaret shares, “Legendary Glamma is about giving women a voice. It sends a message to love yourself at any age and that life shouldn’t stop because of age. At my age, I never expected to have a job modelling, but I feel empowered and can support my family to my heart’s content.”
Leading a quiet retirement life on her homestead, the Legendary Glamma project has given Margaret a new lease on life. She shares her joy, expressing that she is a new person; each ensemble “makes me feel like I can say whatever I want to anyone, and they would listen and pay attention.” This affirms Diana’s talent and how her styles make the wearer feel. “Safe fashion is boring,” Dee asserts, determined to push boundaries and inspire her clients to embrace uniqueness.
Vintage Glamma Vintage Glamma.
Dee has styled many Zambian musical artists with unmistakably striking looks. Her identity as an African is ever-present, both at home and her base in New York. “The Zambia I bring to the world is fashion,” she explains, opting to don a Zambian designer and gift the host a Zambian-made apron for her guest appearance on the Tamron Hall Show earlier in 2024.
At 42, Dee finally feels a profound sense of purpose. “Because I have inspired my kids, I have inspired the world. They are my world, and that is my legacy,” she explains. Her children, now 21 and 16, have become a source of strength as she navigates the complexities of life and career. “My 20s and 30s were about figuring out life and motherhood, but now, at 42, I feel like my life has just began.” She revels in the freedom that comes with their independence, allowing her to travel and pursue her career without worry.
Margaret echoes this sentiment, sharing her own journey of rediscovery. “I have respect for what she does and relate to going after your dreams and talents, not forcing children into careers they don’t like just because the parent wants that for them,” she reflects, acknowledging the generational shift in how creativity is pursued. “It is a new era; I must adjust and understand it while hoping they keep our traditions alive.”
It’s a new era; I have to adjust and understand it, while hoping they keep our traditions alive.
Dee is keeping the tradition alive in her own way. By styling her grandmother, she reasserts the unpredictability her work embodies. In a society that perpetuates near-impossible beauty standards, Dee and Margaret defy stereotypes by consistently creating looks that challenge notions of what is beautiful. Set against the humble backdrops of typical Zambian farms and peri-urban homesteads, Dee draws from her roots to send a powerful statement. By deliberately wielding the contrast of avant-garde, high-fashion against familiar Zambian settings, she mocks the impoverished images of Africa perpetuated by global media and asserting that life does not stop at any age.
In this era of fashion evolution, Dee sees a bright future for Zambian style, “It takes seeing something new repeatedly to change perceptions,” she explains, underscoring the importance of visibility in reshaping cultural narratives.
Her personal style knows no bounds, and there is no such thing as a special occasion. Both Dee and her grandmother love to show up in what they love. While her grandmother leans towards comfort, prints, and her beloved pearls, Dee is loyal to denim and leather in all its forms—even at the height of a Zambian summer.
The Zambia I bring to the world is fashion.
“Fashion knows no weather. I will wear anything but animal print,” she jokes, revealing her unique approach to style.
Dee’s perspective on beauty is equally liberating. “Physical beauty is non-existent. Beauty is in the appreciation of life. If I wake up and can breathe, that is beauty right there. Beauty is self-confidence. Beauty is knowing who you are. That beauty can make you conquer anything, weather any storm, and overlook offence.” This philosophy of self-acceptance permeates her work, encouraging others to embrace individuality at any age.
The bond between Dee and her grandmother has blossomed into a genuine friendship. They lean on each other, contributing uniquely to their shared artistic expression. By being true to who they are, Dee and Margaret inspire possibility. The Legendary Glamma project has redefined beauty and reminded us all that life, in its vibrancy and richness.
