At age 16, Denise decided to show sixty of her sketched designs to her parents, with the idea of potentially showcasing them at a fashion show. Impressed, her parents helped her bootstrap the show, and Denise’s label, Den-Shé Urban Wear, was born. Denise worked with a tailor to create the designs she had envisioned: colourful, funky, urban designs that young people would love to wear. The fashion show attracted considerable attention from the Zambian media, who hailed her as the youngest fashion designer in the country’s history. Within a few weeks, Denise had attracted over fifty customers to her label, with an average of over two pieces of clothing per customer.
Since Denise’s selection as an Anzisha Fellow, she started University in London, however, decided to take a gap year after one year of studies to launch a second venture in fashion. She is currently based in South Africa.
