Nina jumps ship but is on board
NORTH EASTERN TRIBUNE – Coming from an artistic and creative family, Nina Sedumedi was destined to follow in her mother and father’s fashionable footsteps. However, it wasn’t until after a youth cultural exchange in France that Sedumedi decided to pursue a career in fashion and design.
The University of Johannesburg alumni had a clear goal of establishing her own fashion house and would make clothes for her younger sister, friends and social network. She said she would design everything from curtains to bedding and spearhead projects to train people to hone their own craft and designs but felt unfulfilled and decided to drop everything and take up a job on a cruise ship.
“I was doing things but I didn’t know why I was doing them. I was at a breaking point where I had to quit what I was doing and do something with my life,” she said.
Tasked with managing a clothing shop on board, Sedumedi said she realised her happiness was in her backyard and decided to jump ship and get her pursuit back on track and started doing carnival work for the Gauteng Arts and Culture Department and the Gauteng Carnival, which often takes place during Heritage Month.
The carnival seeks to bring together festive, mindful and diverse people across South Africa to celebrate their origins, traditions and the rich tangible and intangible heritage of the country and province – a fitting feat for Sedumedi’s brand, Nina Creations.
The brand opened in 2000 and has been working hard at supplying beautiful, trendy and edgy clothes. Sedumedi’s expertise landed her the lead wardrobe designer role for the upcoming South African film, Zulu Love Letter. Looking at the state of South Africa’s economy, Sedumedi said she would like to impart her skills and empower upcoming designers and crafters by getting government entities involved in the fashion and textile industry and show people that it’s not just about clothes.
She said South Africa, with its diverse culture and history, has a lot to export to international markets. “I want to formally work on empowering others and making them aware that their craft is special and should be taken as their bread and butter. If I can achieve that than I can fully say I’ve achieved something.”
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