The three-day Durban Fashion Fair (DFF) themed ‘Coming of Age’ which
was held at The Station Urban Event Space from 18 to 20 September has
been hailed for driving self-employment.
This comes as the iconic fashion showcase, which was a resounding
success launched 22 DFF Class of 2024 mentees to the industry who are
set to officially begin their careers after their pulled an incredible
showstopper show during the three-day fashion extravaganza which kept
people talking.
City’s Economic Development and Planning Committee Chairperson,
Councillor Thembo Ntuli congratulated all fashion designers who had
grabbed this opportunity to further expose their work with both hands
and the mentees who officially introduced their brands.
“The City’s Fashion Development Programme which DFF falls under is one
of the programmes we have identified that drives self-employment and
immensely contribute to job creation,” he said.
“The DFF showcase attracts designers from across Africa as this year
we had designers from Namibia. Last year, we had designers from
Freetown in Sierra Leone which is a clear indication that that our
programme is gaining momentum.”
Ntuli said from the 350 designers trained on the City’s Fashion
Development Programme over the past years, over 100 sustainable jobs
have been created by these designers some of whom supply big clothing
retailers and own their boutiques.
“The new designers that were trained for nine months this year and
finally launched during this showcase stunned the audience and
potential buyers with their quality collections, proving that we as
the Municipality believe in unearthing and grooming fresh talent to
unlock employment opportunities.
The judges expressed their satisfaction about how the designers went
an extra mile and be creative in interpreting this year’s ‘Coming of
Age’ theme.
One of the judges, Greg Wallis, a fashion specialist said this year’s
presentation by designers exceeded expectations.
The 2024 DFF mentee, Nompumelelo Ntinga who kept fashion lovers on
their feet with her bridal white collection said her collection was
inspired by the process of getting ready for the next stage in life.
“I wouldn’t be showcasing such quality work if it wasn’t for the
mentorship received from the Municipality. In this mentorship, I was
taught about the importance of paying attention to detail, to think
out of the box, creativity and business of fashion. Right after my
showcase, enquiries started flooding and I can feel that doors are
about to open, and we are grateful to the Municipality.”
Philile Moloi said it was like a dream come true strutting on a big
runway for the first time and having to showcase amazing concepts of
big names in the industry. “This is proof that it is never too late to
chase after your dreams. This will open other doors as I love acting
and singing too.”
The designers who excelled in various categories will be announced
during the Annual Durban Fashion Fair Recognition Awards to be held on
27 September at the Durban Exhibition Centre. They will be hosted in
conjunction with the Durban Business Fair Excellence and the Lions’
Den Business Competition Plan Awards.