The incredible story of Margaret Chola, the 85-year-old grandmother who became a fashion and social icon thanks to her granddaughter

Margret Cholabetter known as “Legendary Glamma”, at 85 years old conquered the world of fashion and social media in a completely unexpected way. Despite living in a rural area near Lusaka, Zambia, she has become a style icon followed by over 225,000 people on Instagram thanks to original and bold photographs created with his nieceDiana Kaumba, New York-based stylist.

Margret’s adventure as a model began almost for fun in 2023, when Diana, during a visit to Zambia to commemorate her father, proposed to her grandmother wear his fashionable clothes. With irony and curiosity, Margret accepted, giving life to the “Granny Series”.

The first shot portrayed her in a silver suitphotographed among the daily scenes of his farm, among corn fields, mango trees and brick buildings. The contrast between the glamorous style of the clothes and the rural setting immediately captured attention, transforming Margret into a fascinating and modern figure.

Many grandmothers wrote to Diana

In 2024, the series took a viral turn when Margret was immortalized with a Adidas red dressa glittering crown and golden necklaces. Since then, the outfits have embraced a style “maximalist-chic,” celebrating bright colors, bold contrasts and quirky accessories like oversized hats, statement necklaces and funky sunglasses.

Margret particularly enjoys looks she’s never tried before, like jeans and wigs, which make her feel “alive and ready to conquer the world”. The project also became a generational bridge between grandson and grandmotherwith Diana discovering her grandmother’s harsh life: a forced marriage at a young age, economic difficulties and the courage to escape an unhappy union.

For Margret, this new phase of life represents a rebirth. In addition to inspiring people to live without fear of social judgment, his message is clear: you can’t change the past, but you can change the future. Thanks to this series, Diana received more requests to turn grandmothers into modelsproving that fashion can celebrate all ages.