Established 1961 13 Lifestyle Features Monday, July 6, 2020 French theatre star accused of beating up vlogger n actor from France’s most pres- back when I was on the ground. I was tigious theatre company, the hit with books and shoes,” she said. “He AComedie Francaise, has been pulled my hair and threw me to the accused of assaulting and threatening ground in his apartment. He tried to to kill a vlogger, the theatre confirmed strangle me and left marks on my Tuesday. “La Comedie Francaise is neck,” Coquille-Chambel added, who hugely shocked to discover the intoler- also posted photos of bruises and a cut able violence one of its staff has been lip. She said she had audio recordings accused of,” the theatre tweeted. “We of the actor threatening to kill her. condemn this in the strongest terms Coquille-Chambel appealed to other and will take all necessary measures,” it women who may have been victims of added, without naming the man. There the actor to come forward and to Founder of Mosi Oa Tunya and Zimbabwe entrepreneur Shepherd Elias Lopez, a cigar making maestro from the Dominican Republic, lights are some 30 male actors in the “break the silence” of abuse in the the- Mafundikwa poses for pictures with his company’s hand rolled cigars as a hand rolled cigar at the Mosi Oa Tunya. Comedie Francaise company, including atre. “I know that he had a reputation he poses for a portrait at his factory in Harare.—AFP photos some of France’s most loved stars. as a dangerous guy. So if there are oth- Vlogger Marie Coquille-Chambel, who er victims who should be heard, please posts about plays on her YouTube contact me,” she said. “I do not want channel, said she was beaten up three anyone else to suffer, no matter how ‘Smoke that thunders’: First times by the actor, who also threatened famous and influential he is,” Coquille- to kill her. Chambel said. The vlogger said she had The young woman described the gone to the police and was returning to ‘made-in-Zimbabwe’ luxury cigars beatings in a Facebook post and a see them Tuesday to add to the com- series of tweets without naming the plaint she has filed.—AFP Zimbabwean entrepreneur in Africa’s ars. “They are rolling about half of the more cigar aficionados. He was enthusiastic about actor. “I was beaten... with punches to top tobacco producer has launched than 200 cigars a day they should roll when Mosi Oa Tunya and said he plans to stock the face, the ribs and I was hit on the Athe first local brand of hand- they have the experience,” said Lopez, the brand once his restaurant—shuttered by rolled cigars, defying coronavirus and eco- whose eventual target is 2,000 cigars per coronavirus—reopens. “Refined taste and nomic odds to light up manufacturing. The day. Mafundikwa deliberately recruited an aroma without being too strong,” Mubi southern African nation produced more than all-female rolling team to “empower women” exclaimed, pointing to the finger of ash 252 million kilogrammes of tobacco last year, and “provide them with an income”. clumped beyond the cigar’s burning tip—a making it the sixth largest producer in the Zimbabwe’s economy has been crippled sign of “good quality”. world. Nearly all of it is the “golden-leaf” Virginia used for cigarettes and most of that is exported to China, Germany and other international markets. Upon returning last year to his homeland after 15 years working in the United States, Shep Mafundikwa was determined to start a business that would “benefit” Zimbabwe. “Though I am not a smoker, I noticed a preponderance of cigar lounges across the United States and decided I’d try to corner some of that market,” said Mafundikwa, 54, who worked for an American airline. He started with trips to Cuba and the Dominican Republic, both premium cigar producers, A woman rolls and cuts tobacco leaf into cigars at the Mosi Oa Tunya. where he recruited Dominican cigar-rolling maestro Elias Lopez. The pair selected air- by years of mismanagement and corruption Gun shop owner Preemesh Mohan cured Burley tobacco, a darker variety that under the late ex-president Robert Mugabe Doolabh considers Zimbabwean cigars to be accounts for a small percentage of local pro- that forced millions to leave the country. of similar quality to Cuban brands. “If you duction. In May, Mafundikwa launched Galloping inflation has wiped out savings blindfolded me and made me smoke both, I Mosi Oa Tunya Cigars—the local Lozi name and caused most companies to collapse or wouldn’t be able to tell the difference,” he for the Victoria Falls, which translates to “the relocate. Manufacturing is limited and more said. As the brand seems to have passed smoke that thunders”. than 80 percent of Zimbabweans are out of muster at home, Mafundikwa is eyeing new Runway revolution: Is work. “I was unemployed but can now sup- markets abroad, where he will go up against Against all odds port my family,” said cigar roller Gamuchirai the Cuban and Dominican brands that “It was like building a house from Chibaya. “We all see a future here.” inspired him. Mosi Oa Tunya also has scratch,” Mafundikwa recalled. “Though I African brands to compete against: this the end of fashion had settled on hand-rolled cigars there was ‘Ready’ for export Morocco’s Habanos, which is seeking to still equipment needed.” One of the first set- Mosi Oa Tunya cigars come in different expand to the US, and another new southern backs was the brittle nature of Zimbabwe’s sizes, prices and flavours that send wafts of African manufacturer—Mozambique’s tobacco, which forced Mafundikwa to import cherry and vanilla across the factory. Bongani luxury cigars. Mafundikwa is confi- as we know it? special wrappers. When the coronavirus hit Mafundikwa said he was targeting both sea- dent Mosi Oa Tunya is up to the challenge. Zimbabwe in March, progress was delayed soned and novice smokers. “The idea (of “It will be fantastic for Zimbabwe to start for weeks by a country-wide lockdown. smaller size) is to provide an option for those earning some foreign currency from value- aris fashion week goes online for will simplify businesses, making them Mosi Oa Tunya eventually opened in May who cannot afford to buy the cigars,” he added Burley tobacco,” he said.—AFP the first time in its history more environmentally and socially sus- and Lopez has since been teaching seven added. Restaurant-owner Peter Mubi is a PMonday, with fashion rocked not tainable.” They want the fashion calen- Zimbabwean women the craft of rolling cig- member of Zimbabwe’s small community of just by the coronavirus but by a grow- dar redrawn so winter clothes hit the ing revolt from within the industry. The shops in winter and summer ones in virus has brought designers’ long-sup- summer—rather than months before as pressed frustrations with the system they do now. For others, the fashion and its unforgiving pace bubbling to show itself is as “outmoded” as the cal- the surface. Many are questioning not endar. just the infernal rhythm and environ- A broad-based coalition called mental impact of five and six collec- “Rewiring Fashion”, uniting the likes of tions a year, but whether fashion weeks hot US labels 1017 ALYX 9SM, or even fashion shows still make sense Rodarte, Proenza Schouler and Phipps in a digital world. with several Paris stalwarts has laid out “I can no longer cope with an indus- another top-to-bottom reimaging of try built on abuse and consumerism, the system. “We find ourselves facing a thriving on environmental destruction fashion system that is less and less and perpetuating racial and gender- conducive to genuine creativity and based injustice,” declared the rising ultimately serves the interests of Brazilian creator Francisco Terra nobody: not designers, not retailers, Wednesday, the brains behind the not customers—and not even our plan- Elias Lopez (left), a cigar making maestro from the Dominican Republic, Zimbabwe entrepreneur Shepherd Mafundikwa (right) confers with busi- Neith Nyer brand. Terra—one of a et,” they said. inspects finely chopped tobacco leafs before serving it to the waiting ness technical partner Dominican cigar maestro, Elias Lopez (left), at a wave of young designers to have bro- production. display of some of his company’s hand rolled cigars. ken onto the Paris catwalk in recent ‘Time to slow down’ years—said that from now on he would They too insist the “fashion calendar only show once a year, “maybe twice”. is out of sync with the customer, He is far from alone. Spanish wun- unsustainable for industry profession- derkind Alejandro Palomo told AFP als and damaging for sales. “It’s time to that he is not sure if costly Paris shows slow down,” their manifesto declared. really work for him while Colombian In a digital world staging fashion shows Esteban Cortazar said he has turned his six months before the clothes hit the back on them for now. “I love the shops makes no sense, and was an shows,” Palomo said, “but I am not open invitation to fast-fashion rip off going to put the pressure on my body merchants, it added. Like Van Noten, of having to do one” every few months. they also want an end to discounting Nor is the rebellion confined to smaller and Black Friday-type sales which they independent labels. blame for much of the industry’s waste- ful overproduction. However, some top Shows ‘outmoded’ luxury brands are not yet ready for The tectonic plates began to shift in revolution.