Local Fashion Week set to wow again
YOUNG designers from Khayelitsha are hoping to make their mark in the cutthroat fashion business with their own Fashion Week.
Designers and models are preparing for the second Khayelitsha Fashion Week after the event’s successful launch last year.
Bongani Matenjwa, who came up with the idea of hosting the fashion show, said he wanted to provide a platform for designers and models to showcase their talents.
“Khayelitsha is one of the biggest townships in South Africa, so we are exposing them to the wider community because they are that good.”
Matenjwa said the designers will showcase their Summer Collections, which some have already started working on.
“The designers that showcased last year made huge strides. Some of them made some wedding dresses and outfits for people going to various events. They got a lot of exposure.”
He said that he was confident that the show could compete with bigger shows.
“We will be financing it on our own. With the previous one we had some help from councillors, but this year we don’t want to ask them again, we want them to see that we have grown.”
Designer Twoo Vindi said:“I started in 2014, printing T-shirts, and people fell in love with them and it grew from there.”
He said people can look forward to his much-loved designs on T-shirts and shorts.
“I want it to be big and I want people to see my work. I hope to be well known, be on TV and some day open a shop.”
Magdalene Ishmael said she taught herself to sew. “I do this all in my spare time, and people are shocked that there are people in Khayelitsha who are capable of doing this. We want them to see our work.”
The show will be held on September 9 and 10 in Khayelitsha.
Sponsors for the Khayelitsha Fashion Week can contact them on their Facebook Page.