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| Greg Wallis & Terrence Bray with the 2015 DFF mentees! |
The Durban
Fashion Fair (DFF) Mentorship Programme is gathering momentum as 19 young
designers strive to learn all they can about the world of fashion whilst also
qualifying for an opportunity for a second mentorship experience of a lifetime
in one of the world’s fashion capitals.
The DFF is
a proudly eThekwini initiative developed to grow the fashion industry at large
and to formulate employment opportunities and entrepreneurship in our city.
Scores of
young designers put their names forward in November last year and 19 were
chosen to take part in the programme which includes working closely with some
of the city’s top fashion gurus as well as their fellow designers.
As the
programme progresses, a minimum of nine aspiring designers will be eliminated
from the programme until the maximum of 10 head to Milan for a firsthand
experience of the international world of fashion between September &
November.
The
interns, who range in age from 23 to 35, are all currently working in the
fashion industry. Selection was based on three pillars – creativity (which was
judged on story boards and garment construction) as well as business acumen (a
traceable client base, business plan and business skills).
This month,
two of the above 2015 mentees will join the four interns from last year who
went to Milan together with invited and established designers in showcasing
their creations at an exciting fashion show, hosted by Gelvenor Textiles who
are currently celebrating 50 years within the textile industry.
Themed
Fashion Over the Decades, this will see the interns divided into groups with
each group showcasing fashion from a particular decade, starting with the
swinging sixties and ending with the start of the 2000 and beyond. It will
bring together the city’s fashionistas as well as buyers, suppliers and
industry leaders and media.
All the
successful interns from last year and this year will also see their work on the
ramp at the Durban Fashion Fair later this year!
According
to Sindi Shangase, the Programme Manager for the Business Support Tourism and
Markets Unit and who has driven the DFF since inception in 2012, the mentorship
programme is intended to train enterprising young designers in all aspects of
the fashion business and prepare them and their collections for the DFF and,
finally, for mentorship in Milan.
Programme
mentors are G & D Apparel’s, Greg Wallis and respected Durban based
designer, Terrence Bray, who will assist with orientation, choice of textiles,
collection design and styling amongst other clothing related matters and Greg
Wallis who will not only guide interns on orientation and textile selection but
provide valuable information regarding manufacturing, brand management, costing
and entering the world of retail.
Guest
lecturers from the industry are all revered members and will take invited turns
in assisting in the development of these mentees.
Interns
competing for the Milan mentorship are provided with different design briefs
each week and assignments. They work in teams, selecting a team leader and
critting each other’s work. They are also taught to build collections from
start to finish whilst additional modules will show these aspiring designers
how to run their own successful businesses.
Gelvenor
Textiles, one of Durban’s biggest success stories in the textile arena, will
contribute a substantial financial input to the DFF Mentorship Programme and
sponsor the eagerly anticipated May fashion show which, Gelvenor will host at
the Sibaya Casino.
The company
is a big name in the global specialist textile arena. This
Hammarsdale based manufacturer’s products include apparel fabrics, specialised
sport and outdoor fabrics, ballistic and flame retardant textiles, aeronautical
textiles, print and coat base cloths, multifilament filtration media and
speciality reinforcing grids and scrim industrial fabrics. Its brands are
Qantec, Qantec microfiber, Granite, APC, Team Puma and Airotec.
Gelvenor
Textiles’ success lies in continual investment in research and technology and
in an on-going drive for the production of the highest quality innovative
fabrics.
To find out more about the Durban Fashion Fair, log on to www.durbanfashionfair.com,
visit official facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DurbanFashionFair
or Twitter https://twitter.com/DbnFashionFair
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