On Monday, November 21, 2016, fashion design icon David Tlale facilitated the first Buyel’Ekhaya Fashion Development Workshop with aspiring young fashion designers and students at the Mariam Makeba Centre of Performing Arts in East London. The Fashion Development adjudication panel went through over 70 creative portfolios submitted at the workshop and eight successful applicants were selected to participate in a ten-day mentorship programme with renowned fashion designer Thula Sindi.
In this period, the eight mentorship awardees will also design and produce garments from the Thula Sindi studios in Johannesburg from November 27 to December 6, 2016. These will be showcased at the inaugural Buyel’ekhaya Fashion Show to be held on December 16, 2016 at the Orient Theatre, East London alongside David Tlale, Thula Sindi, Tina Ngxokolo and Mozambican designer Taibo Bacar under the theme Going Back to Our Roots.
The Buyel’Ekhaya Fashion Development Mentorship Programme awardees are; Athenkosi Mgudlwa, Nozibele Nyembe, Phindile Makupula, Sandisiwe Dani, Thandolwethu Piliso, Unathi Kweyi, Wendy Virginia Matiwane and Zikhona Voyi.
The Buyel’Ekhaya Fashion Development Programme is an empowerment initiative of the Buyel’ekhaya Pan African Festival and is made possible through the generous support of the Fibre Processing & Manufacturing (FP&M) SETA, SABC and South African fashion designers David Tlale and Thula Sindi.
Image credits: Mark Andrews
