South Coast fashion designer Makhosazane Ntshangase of Sistas Felas was recently named the Durban Fashion Designer of the Year.
Ntshangase won R15 000 and an award at the annual Durban Fashion Fair Recognition Awards at the Durban Exhibition Centre last week.
She is not only a fashion designer but is also one of the people behind the Esayidi Fashion School and the annual South Coast Business Fair.
Speaking about the award, Ntshangase said her designs in the competition were influenced by her journey at the Durban Fashion Fair.
“The first ever award I received was from the Durban Fashion Fair when I was still a mentee. Since then, I have never looked back. I am an international fashion designer representing South Africa, which is why the South African flag is important to me,” she said.
eThekwini Municipality’s Economic Development and Planning Committee chairperson, Clr Thembo Ntuli, said the iconic fashion showcase was a resounding success.
“The Durban Fashion Fair attracts designers from across Africa; this year, we had designers from Namibia. Last year, we had designers from Freetown in Sierra Leone, which is a clear indication that our programme is gaining momentum,” said Ntuli.
He added that from the 350 designers trained via the city’s Fashion Development Programme over the last few years, over 100 sustainable jobs have been created by these designers, some of whom supply big clothing retailers and own boutiques.
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