Event management company Comic-Con Africa hosted the Comic-Con Africa Sew-A-Thon on June 11.
The event involved local fashion designers creating superhero costume pieces in just eight hours at Stadio School of Fashion.
According to the school, contestants had to use 90% of the materials provided to them and the five Comic-Con colours – black, blue, red, yellow and orange.
“We were approached by Comic-Con to host the event. We formed a partnership with Comic-Con and Brother for the sewing machines, to bring this event to life,” said Tania Edwards, Stadio’s student recruitment manager. “There are some [designers] who are self-taught and others that have a little bit of experience, and then there are others that have studied a design qualification.”
Edwards added that a number of their students had entered the competition.
One of the designers who goes by the name William The Second, said the concept of his design was inspired by the passing of his brother who was buried on the day of the competition a year ago. “He had mental health issues and committed suicide. I’m dedicating this to him, I feel like he was my superhero. I want to spread the word, we need to try and save our superheroes, that’s why my heading is ‘Save the Superheroes’.”
After impressing judges with their ready-to-wear designs, the three winners were chosen from 31 contesatnts. The grand prize winner was Maoukami, and second and third place finishers were Ray van Rooyen and Cheyenne du Preez respectively.
Maoukami said, “I didn’t expect to win and so was so surprised when my name was called out. I based my design on the hero Chat Noir from Miraculous Ladybug. I wanted to make a cat boy but with a simpler design so I could finish in time and execute it well.
“The whole idea of the competition is to centre your hero around what Comic-Con means to you, so I chose to use blue to symbolise my calm and professional manner, and red because this embodies how I am with cosplay – louder and unafraid of being judged.”
In the Comic-Con cosplay competition, Aziwe Tobun won for her ‘Storm’ costume.
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