PE designers making most of chance
INFORMATIVE, fun and exciting is how two Port Elizabeth designers described their experience under the mentorship of South African celebrity designer Thula Sindi in Johannesburg this week.
Ati Setipa, 31, and Khanya Matolengwe, 25, were among 10 aspiring Eastern Cape designers selected at the second Buyel’ekhaya Fashion Development Workshop.
This was facilitated by acclaimed fashion designer David Tlale in East London late last month.
The selected designers travelled to Johannesburg on Monday to spend 10 days learning the ins and out of the fashion industry with Sindi.
“We’ve learnt quite a lot in the few days already.
“The first day was an introduction and overview of what we’ll be doing while we are here,” Setipa said.
“We’ve also been to see Thula Sindi’s shops, learned about brand marketing and PR. It’s an exciting experience.”
The Mount Croix-based designer founded her women’s wear brand, Ati Designs, in 2008 after she finished her National Diploma in Fashion Design at the then Port Elizabeth Technikon (now Nelson Mandela University).
By the end of the mentorship, the designers are expected to have produced two garments within the theme “Going Back to Our Roots” to be showcased at the Buyel ’ekhaya Fashion Show on December 15 in East London.
The show will be a part of the annual Buyel’ekhaya Pan African Cultural Festival on December 17 with Oliver Mtukudzi, Black Coffee, Berita, Amanda Black and Vusi Nova.
They will showcase their work alongside the likes of Gert-Johan Coetzee, Tlale, Laduma Ngxokolo, Sindi and Mozambican designer Taibo Bacar at the fashion show.
New Brighton’s Matolengwe said being mentored by Sindi was insightful and fun.
“It really doesn’t feel like I’m around a celebrity designer because he is very patient and shares a lot about his own experience in the industry.”
She said she had already gained a lot of knowledge about how to price her brand.
Matolengwe founded her business after obtaining her National Diploma in Fashion Design at the Walter Sisulu University in East London in 2014.
The designers have been allocated a specific budget while putting together their garments.
They return to the Eastern Cape next week.