Renowned South African fashion and media personality, Noni Gasa, is on a mission to fulfil the dreams of aspiring young designers with ambitious goals of global stardom. In partnership with Design Academy of Fashion (DAF) in Cape Town, The Noni Gasa Bursary offers one deserving student the chance to pursue a three-year Diploma in Fashion in 2020.
Gasa, a resident judge on Project Runway South Africa, said she was passionate about unearthing the next generation of African talent and called for applications from prospective design students who are unable to afford private education.
With sponsorships from Woolworths, Elna and Rain, the winning candidate will get their full tuition fees as well as their living expenses covered for three years, to the value of R460 000!
“There has never been a more exciting time for African fashion. 2019 was truly our breakthrough year and, now more than ever, the world is looking to us for a new aesthetic, a fresh perspective and creative expression with a unique point of view. The likes of Thebe Magugu, Laduma Ngxokolo and Rich Mnisi have made it possible for the African child to dream more audaciously and they are proof that we have all it takes to compete against the best in the world. I believe that, through this incredible opportunity, we will discover and develop the next big name in the game and an ambassador for the African continent,” Gasa said.
Design Academy of Fashion recently made history as the only Southern African school to be selected for the prestigious Gucci Fellowship, a cluster of 12 global institutions that are now official feeder schools to Gucci, the world’s most iconic fashion house founded in 1921 by Italian designer, Guccio Gucci. Launched in May 2019 at the Condé Nast International Luxury Conference held in Cape Town, the fellowship program was announced by supermodel Naomi Campbell and CEO and President of Gucci, Marco Bizzarri, as part of the luxury brand’s global strategy to build a culturally diverse and inclusive design team working under Creative Director, Alessandro Michele.
Every year, on an ongoing basis, one 3rd-year graduate from DAF will be given the unique opportunity to intern for a period of 12 months at Palazzo Alberini in Rome, the design headquarters for Gucci. Cape Town based DAF joins the likes of New York’s Fashion Institute Of Technology – the world’s number one ranked fashion school – and other esteemed colleges from Dubai, Paris, Accra, Nigeria, Nairobi, Singapore, New Delhi, China and South Korea.
In addition to getting their tuition fees covered, the beneficiary of The Noni Gasa Bursary will receive R5 000 a month towards their transport and accommodation in Cape Town, R1 000 per month from Woolworths Food, unlimited mobile data from Rain for three years, top-of-the-range sewing machines and an over locker from Elna, as well as their textbooks and art kits.
Applicants are not required to have previous design experience but will have to demonstrate their creative and artistic flair, by submitting a trend storyboard and hand-drawn sketches of their original designs. Applications close on 30 October 2019 and the winner will be announced on 7 November.
