Mantsho, Maxhosa, Imprint, and Linda Sithole are set to close 2019 with a bang at the Buyel’ekhaya Fashion Show.
Taking place at Hemingways Mall, East London, on Friday, December 13, the fashion show by South Africa’s acclaimed designers is part of the 11th Annual Buyel’ekhaya Pan African Festival.
Palesa Mokubong, the owner of Mantsho is the headline designer who mentored 10 student designers together at the Buyel’ekhaya Fashion Development Programme Workshop which took place in October this year.
She also took the designers to her studio where they spent 10 days with her, learning all things fashion-including how to operate as a business in the industry.
Palesa Mokubung, the headline designer who will be showcasing at Buyele'khaya. Picture: File image
“We mentored about 10 student designers, we basically picked about 50-60 students. They presented their portfolios and we chose 20 to interview and narrowed them to 10.
“My aim is just to be a source of inspiration to the designers. You know sometimes it’s far fetched when you’re inspired by someone not close to you. It feels like your dream is not attainable or accessible. What I want for the designers is to have real interaction with their inspiration.
“I wanted them to come into the workspace and learn some tricks. Some technical tricks, business tricks, and how things work and see what they can pick up. Some things you can teach by talking to somebody, somethings you just cannot teach, a person must just see and then they’ll pick whatever they can grasp,” said Mokubong.
The emerging designers Wendy Nortey, Sinalo Tshaya, Gcaleka Thobile, Khema Akhonke, Holoholo Avumile, Sikhabeu Vuyiswa, Lindokuhle Monjane, Cebolenkosi Shibe, Yakhuxolo Mvambo and Zalisile Stuurman will also showcase at the distinctly Afrocentric 4th Annual Buyelekhaya Fashion Show.
Sho Madjozi will be performing at the festival. Picture:Supplied.
The fashion show will be followed by a music festival on Sunday, December 15 where Sho Madjozi will be joined by fellow heavy hitters Zonke and Vusi Mahlasela as well as Busiswa, Kwesta, Heavy K, Nathi, Yanga Chief, Kabza De Small, The Jaziel Brothers and Busi Smith.
Nomahlubi Mazwai of Mazwai Communications who created and produce the festival said that the aim of the festival is to provide socio-economic benefits for the region.
"Buyel’ekhaya was established in 2009 in East London with a simple vision: To turn the Eastern Cape into the Cultural Mecca of South Africa. Each year the country’s finest kick off the holiday season festivities with their display of excellence on stage and at the music and fashion workshops and fashion show beforehand. Song, dance, and fashion are part of our vision to give full expression to the tenets of culture that form a central part of the African lifestyle,” said Mazwai.
The music festival takes place at Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium on Sunday, December 15. Tickets start from R250 from Shoprite, Checkers, and Computicket nationwide.
Visit www.buyelekhaya.co.za for more information.