Everybody’s favorite Glamma

Margaret Chola is “somewhere in her 80s.” Born in a rural village in Zambia, the grandmother does not have a birth certificate and has never known her real birthday. Married at around age 12 to a man 20 years her senior, Margaret had three children before eventually escaping the marriage.

Bleak beginnings, yes – but now she’s an internet sensation. Hailed as the “legendary Glamma,” Margaret has rocketed to fame in the last two years thanks to her eclectic fashion photoshoots orchestrated by her granddaughter, Diana.

It all started in 2023, when Diana took a few pictures of her grandma to share online with friends and family. She hoped to eventually have them printed and hung up in Margaret’s villa in Zambia. Within minutes of her posting, however, they had thousands of likes.

"People just started requesting more," Diana recalled. "They were saying, 'This cannot be the beginning and the end. We need more of her. She has brought something we didn't know we needed.'"

And thus, the "Granny Series" was born.

Diana quickly set Margaret up with an Instagram account for all her fans. The two women get together every two weeks to shoot content – Margaret has become known for her bold outfits (put together by Diana), often featuring over-the-top accessories and colorful prints.

The love pours in from around the world, often from older women in their 60s-80s who remarked on how much she inspired them to wear whatever made them feel the most confident.

• "It surprised me to hear that so many people around the world love me,” shared the fashionista. “I didn’t know I could make such an impact at this age."
• As Margaret became more comfortable in front of the camera, she started looking forward to the shoots more and more. She uses the outfits as posing inspiration, embodying each character in front of the lens.

❤️ Bottom line: More than anything, Margaret and Diana are thankful for the bonding experience the photoshoots have brought them. "We're doing this until she tells me she doesn't want to anymore," Diana said. "Until then, we're keeping it going."