DURBAN - Edgars stores have been stocked with the trendy designs of three eThekwini Municipality’s Fashion Development Programme beneficiaries.
Makhosi Ntshangase of fashion label Sista Felas, Kwenzi Nkomo of Indoni Fashion House and Sandile Mlambo, founder of House of Alfalfa, have been selected to supply Edgars stores after impressing the retail chain with their work.
Ntshangase’s collection is available at Edgars in Sandton City Mall from March 1, 2022, while Mlambo said his collection will be available at the same store later this month.
The municipality said Indoni Fashion House has also started supplying Sandton City Edgars, with her fashion products receiving rave reviews. The label has been offered the opportunity to supply Edgars stores in Gateway Mall in Durban and Canal Walk Shopping Centre in Cape Town starting from March 14 as well.
Ntshangase, who was a Durban Fashion Fair (DFF) mentee in 2019 and is an award-winning fashion designer, said the DFF programme opened doors for her.
“I now employ a team of 20 permanent people.”
Her accolades include being named DFF rising star and Vodacom Durban July Young Designer of the Year in 2019.
Mlambo said: “I always tell people that my success story involves the City’s Fashion Development Programme. I tell this story wherever I go because it made me.”
He employs a permanent staff of five and has two studios in Glenwood, Durban, and Maboneng, Johannesburg. Mlambo also supplies a range of boutiques in Johannesburg and Sandton as well as Vittoria and Co. at the Pavilion Shopping Centre in Durban.
Nkomo, of the Glenwood Indoni Fashion House, was a 2014 DFF mentee and employs a permanent staff of six. She co-owns the clothing store The Fifth with another four powerhouse women, three of whom are also beneficiaries of the DFF development programme.
Part of the City’s Fashion Development Programme is the DFF Emporium, which sells fashion products of the programme mentees and other local fashion designers.
Mayor of eThekwini Mxolisi Kaunda said: “The city established the Fashion Development Programme 11 years ago and has invested millions of rands in a bid to revive the textile and clothing sector, which contributes largely to job creation and economy. We are grateful to see this programme yielding positive results and these three fashion designers alone employ a total of 31 permanent staff and create temporary employment.”
He described their achievement as a remarkable milestone.
“Ours is to support them and buy local,” Kaunda said.
Daily News