I’m someone who spends way too much time on social media, consuming everything from mysterious facts about the depths of the ocean to content of a young mom making bubblegum from scratch. These days, it’s rare and wonderful to experience something that stops you in your tracks altogether. For me, it was the sight of a magnificent mature woman seated in the stillness of a farm in Zambia, donning bright-red athleisure wear, layered gold chains, orange sunglasses, and a crown to top it all off. Not even the most advanced AI could generate this moment. This is the legendary and very real Margaret Chola, known as @legendary_glamma on the internet streets. Before her explosion onto the fashion scene, Margaret Chola’s life was the epitome of simplicity on a farm in 10 Miles, a village in Central Province, Zambia.
Born in a Zambian town called Chinsali in 1942, she’s 82 years old this year, though her exact birth month and date remain a mystery because there’s no record of what happened to her birth certificate. Affectionately known as Grandma Chola or Mbuya, which means grandma in her native language Bemba, she raised eight children and now lives on a farm owned by one of her three surviving children. “I didn’t know anything about fashion really,” Grandma Chola explains. “I had a very normal everyday life, doing chores, just living and thanking God for each new day.”This all changed when her New York-based granddaughter, 41-year-old Diana Kalezhi (known as Dee), came up with an idea. “I was visiting Zambia and had planned my looks for the trip. Near the end of my stay, I realised I wouldn’t get the chance to wear some of my outfits. I thought to myself, ‘I should put this on my grandma’,” she recalls.
After a fair bit of convincing, Grandma Chola agreed, and that’s how the first images in the now-famous series were born. “The shoot was impromptu and very low stakes as these images were simply meant to live on my Instagram page.” Little did she know that those posts would not only transform Grandma Chola’s profile, but also leave a lasting impact on the collective conversation around fashion, age, and what’s possible with the internet.
Diana, a freelance stylist and creative consultant, inherited her love of fashion from her father. “He once hired a designer all the way from Hong Kong to come and custom make his suits,” Dee shares. Her world opened up even more when the family moved to New York City after her father was transferred by the Zambian diplomatic mission. Her eye for style sharpened, and an appreciation for the quality of high-end fashion and a love for the uniqueness of vintage looks were born. Inspired by this, the “Grandma Series” features Grandma Chola in avantgarde fashion looks, set against the rustic backdrop of the farm. This unique blend of high fashion, an elderly model, and everyday life struck a chord with viewers worldwide.
“I sought to challenge and break down stereotypes about Africa, often seen through a lens of poverty and lack of development. I wanted to showcase the beauty, creativity, and advancement of the continent, using my grandmother as the focal point.” Diana has not visited Zambia since last year, so their styling sessions are done online with the help of local photographer Kooma Jńr (@kooma_ jnr on Instagram) and two Zambian-based assistants, who source the clothes from Diana’s own local showroom.
The photo series has not only brought Grandma Chola into the limelight, but also nourished the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter. With deteriorating health, Mbuya doesn’t know what kind of aches and pains she’ll wake up with on any given day. Despite this difficulty, her biggest joy is connecting with her granddaughter. “We now talk regularly and I have a newfound love for her. I call her my small boss… Now I have something to live for and she’s given me a job. I’m her muse,” Grandma Chola says fondly. Asked what the most thrilling aspect of her newfound life as an internationally talked-about internet personality has been, Grandma Chola says, “To see prints of myself in people’s homes has been very overwhelming; I never imagined I would be loved that much.”
Compounding the series’ success, Diana and Grandma Chola are set to release a new book, Accidental Fashion Icon. This coffee table photo album will feature iconic prints from the series accompanied by short anecdotes about Grandma Chola’s life, together with comments from social media followers. Also in the pipeline is a photo exhibition at a black-owned New York mansion in the year’s final quarter. Becoming a symbol of timeless fashion has allowed them to break stereotypes about age, showing that life and style don’t have to stop as you get older. “You are as old as you feel, and just because you are old doesn’t mean you should stop living,” says the 82-year-old accidental fashion muse.
