The journey to becoming established designers in the fashion industry has begun for 25 aspiring designers who are part of the Class of 2022 Durban Fashion Fair (DFF) Mentorship Programme. They begin this week, following the induction that took place on Monday, June 13th.
The mentorship programme was widely advertised and encouraged emerging designers to take advantage of the opportunity. The programme will expose them to technical skills, business development, market access, and networking opportunities.
Fezile Mdletshe, Managing Director and Founder of the Fezile Fashion Skills Academy, will be overseeing the skills transfer of the emerging designers for the duration of the programme.
Mdletshe, together with Nonhlanhla Khumalo from the City’s Business Support, Tourism, Market and Agri-Business Unit judged the storyboards of hundreds of aspiring designers who submitted their work.
The 25 selected designers will have the opportunity to showcase their creations at the annual DFF taking place between 21 and 23 September at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.
Zodwa Wabantu rocks the runway at Durban Fashion Fair in bridal wear
Each year, since its launch in 2012, the DFF has grown bigger and better – and this year will be no different! The DFF serves as a platform for Durban’s creative industries to access local, regional, and national markets and possibly take their designs to retail. It also offers a programme to discover “fresh faced models” for the catwalk.
EThekwini Mayor, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda said the fashion development programme continues to gain momentum, which has a positive impact on the industry. “Our aim was to unearth fresh talent and provide necessary mentorship to encourage self-employment by sharpening designer’s skills so they can in turn create employment for others.”
Image Courtesy: Supplied