The 4th Buyel’Ekhaya Fashion Development Programme 2019 kick started on the 10th of October 2019 with the annual Fashion Development and Adjudication Workshop which was held at the Mariam Makeba Center in East London.
The workshop was facilitated by renowned fashion designer Palesa Mokubung who imparted her extensive knowledge of the industry with the 68 aspiring young designers attending.
The content of the workshop involved an introduction to the business of fashion beyond the classroom with Mokubung sharing her a personal experiences and 15 critical lessons learned in her 15 years in the business as well as:-
- establishing and growing a brand in the local and international arena,
- manufacturing,
- pricing and retail,
- social media engagement and its impact on a brands positioning,
- honing your craft as a designer,
- professional integrity and
- the value of brand authenticity.
The workshop was followed by the five member adjudication panel consisting of Palesa Mokubung (Founder & Head Designer: Mantsho), Aaron Sepeng (HOD: WSU Fashion Department), Archie Monyepao (Head Designer: Monarchy Couture), Mr PK Naicker (COO: FP&M Seta) and Ms Thembakazi Sikhundla (Tesh Vintage and Fashion Dictionary) shortlisting 15 portfolios and conducting 1:1 interviews with the 15 shortlisted candidates. Ten beneficiaries of the 2019 Fashion Development Programme were announced to enthusiastic fanfare from peers and the media.
The ten emerging designers selected for the 2019 Buyel’Ekhaya Fashion Development Programme are:
- Wendy Nortey
- Sinalo Tshaya
- Thobile Gcaleka
- Akhonke Khema
- Avumile Holoholo
- Vuyiswa Sikhabeni
- Lindokuhle Mdunjane
- Cebolenkosi Shibe
- Yakhuxolo Mvambo
- Zalisile Stuurman
An Induction Workshop was held for the selected top ten designers on the 11th of October 2019 to prepare them for their ten day Mentorship Programme under the tutelage of Palesa Mokubung of Mantsho at her Johannesburg Studios and to discuss the design brief for garments to be produced.
All finalists were flown to Johannesburg from the Eastern Cape on the 20th of October 2019 where they were accommodated in the artistic hub of Maboneng District for their stay. The ten day mentorship programme involved a welcome to the Mantsho studios, assisted fabric shopping, pattern making, garment construction, talks on the business of fashion, a visit to renowned couture designer Fred Eboka’s studios (House of Eboka), attendance of a Fashion Week show in Sandton as well as media interviews.
The ten returned to the Eastern Cape on the 31st of October 2019 where they will finalise and refine their garments for showcase at the 4th Annual Buyel’Ekhaya Fashion Show 2019 alongside Palesa Mokubung (Mantsho), Laduma Ngxokolo (MaXhosa by Laduma) and Mzukisi Mbane (Imprint) on the 13th of December 2019 at The Hemingways Mall Rooftop in East London.
The necessary feature of this development imperative is the exposure and on-site experience gathered by emerging Eastern Cape designers giving them much needed experience to the various facets of the fashion industry achieved through creating collaboration between young, emerging designers from the Eastern Cape and established designers.
Previous established designers to collaborate with the programme include South African designers David Tlale, Thula Sindi, Laduma Ngxokolo (MaXhosa by Laduma), Gert-Johan Coetzee, Mozambican designer, Taibo Bacar and this year, Palesa Mokubung of Mantsho.
The importance of Palesa Mokubung as mentor for the 2019 Fashion Development Programme is her successful acquisition of a partnership with global retail giant H&M in 2019 which has seen her collections selling in H&M flagship stores in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Belgium, Mexico, Chile and Israel, as well as all H&M online markets.
The Buyel’Ekhaya Fashion Development Programme is an empowerment initiative supported by The Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP&M) Seta.