Cape Town: A dream has become a reality for a Gugulethu-raised fashion designer as she takes London to showcase her work.
Anita Hlazo, 26, is the brains and work behind “Afrogrunge”, a brand that is selected to showcase at the African Fashion Week in London in October.
What was to be a brand she conceptualised to express her creativity, has since become internationally acclaimed and recognised.
She attests the success to her upbringing and quest for identity.
“Growing up with my grandparents in Gugulethu and seeing my mother on weekends in Delft, I was under strict supervision of my grandmother who had the final say on my style,” she said.
“When I eventually got my own bedroom in the house, I began experimenting with my style.
“There was a huge desire to express myself and own my style and body.
“At the time, Tumblr was huge on the internet and I would excessively search for styles and themes on the platform.
“I realised that I was drawn to a particular style but all the clothes were on white bodies and not on anyone who looked like me.”
She added that her dreams began while job-shadowing at a fashion house.
“This I believed to be my niche and I began designing garments with a rock flavour on black bodies,” she said.
Hlazo’s work has graced Cosmopolitan and Vogue magazines.
She has dressed recognisable faces and showcased on prominent fashion stages.
Hlazo was approached by a Facebook friend living in London, who urged her to apply for the African Fashion Week.
“I am required to present six to eight looks,” she explained.
“I must also pay £1 000 (over R22 000) for this to happen.
“We have managed to raise over R9 000; the entire trip will require more.”
Hlazo’s cousin, popular artist Thandeka Mfinyongo said loves her work ethic.
“Afrogrunge is not just clothes, but also a cultural expression,” she said.
“Many have copied her work, this just shows how talented she is. ”Her brand has broken many boundaries and the brand has grown,”
Luxolo Witvoet, who works with Hlazo as the photographer of the brand, said he is proud of her.
“She has defied adversity and the odds when she felt all was over. Over the years I’ve seen her rub shoulders with the best of the best, including Moonchild, who is a massive performer in the country,” he said.
Hlazo has begun an online crowdfunding campaign to make her London dream a possibility.
To donate, access GoGetFunding.com and search for either her name or “Afrogrunge”.