Exploring the local scene
TRIP OF DISCOVERY: UPCOMING DESIGNER GOES IN SEARCH OF FASHION AND STYLE SECRETS Nhlapo, host of Ayanda: Inside Fashion.
Ayanda Nhlapo is the host of TV reality show Ayanda: Inside Fashion on DStv Channels 190 and 165. The show sees the 24-year-old go in search of fashion and style secrets while discovering the inner-workings of what it takes to be part of some of South Africa’s top fashion houses.
The young visionary started her empire by selling vintage clothes at a local market in Braamfontein and associates her love for fashion to a genetic imprint that has been passed down from generation to generation in her family. She is young, she is cool and she is the right amount of fresh air that the South African industry needs.
Ayanda: Inside Fashion picks up on from the first season, Ayanda’s Fashion House, which was filmed at prestigious fashion school, London International School of Fashion (LISOF) and explored potential careers in the competitive industry. The first season of Ayanda: Inside Fashion saw Nhlapo sit in conversations with industry experts to discuss the different facets of the local fashion industry. Ayanda’s Fashion House was part of a series of entrepreneurial concept-shows pioneered by DStv channel ED in line with the channel’s vision of engaging and inspiring young people.
This season, sponsored by Land Rover, dives into the South African fashion scene as it is filmed on location and explores more in-depth themes such as design and illustration, textiles and fabrics, eco fashion, buying and trend forecasting. The show aims to reflect the significance and the diversity within the fashion industry through what Nhlapo describes as “edutainment” – a blend of educational and entertainment content.
As the host of the show, the upcoming designer and Range Rover ambassador says that her experience on the show has been rewarding and that she has taken some noteworthy pointers through exploring South African fashion both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
“I’m learning that we’re all still learning, I’m learning that everyone starts somewhere, no one is an overnight success. We share the same passion, we share the same sentiments. We’re trying to make a difference through fashion. We’re bringing something different to the table, every designer is different. Everyone is different,” Nhlapo remarks.
The self-proclaimed eclectic and eccentric young designer beams as she speaks about current state of South African fashion, saying: “South African fashion has made its mark, we have a voice, we have an identity, and we have a style. We’re telling our stories more with designers such as Laduma. It’s phenomenal to see us celebrating our own cultures.”
Nhlapo hopes to move the future of local fashion forward with her upcoming self-titled debut collection, Ayanda, which will be reflective of her personal style. Drawing inspiration from one of her favourite local designers, Gert-Johan Coetzee, Nhlapo aims to add a fashion conscious element to her collection by using recycled material for some items in her “Born in the wild and raised in the city” collection.
“I’m trying to be a fashion-conscious person. I’m trying to save the world through fashion.
“I’ve learned that, as designers, we need to have substance, we need to make things that tell a story, that have an inspiration and a message”, Nhlapo concludes.
Season two of Ayanda: Inside Fashion airs on Mondays on ED (DStv channel 190) and on GOtv
(DStv channel 165) at 6.55pm.