It was an euphoric moment when two fashion design students from the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Thabiso Ncanana and Andile Nsele took second and third runner up positions at the 2023 Hollywoodbets Durban July Young Designer Award competition, presented by Durban Fashion Fair. The announcement was made at Africa’s greatest horseracing event, the Hollywoodbets Durban July, on Saturday, 01 July 2023.
The competition was open to fashion design students from KwaZulu-Natal. The designs submitted for the competition had to follow and reflect an understanding of the race day theme: Out of This World. Ncanana finished second and won R30 000 worth of bursary funding; R3 000 in cash; and a R2 000 gift card. Ncanana (26) from Esikhawini, Richards Bay is doing his Advanced Diploma in Fashion and Textiles.
Ncanana believes his love for fashion comes from his mother who used to obsess about dressing him as a child and making him look good when going out or attending family gatherings.
He believed his interpretation of the theme was different from others.
“The theme spoke to outer space, and this inspired me to reimagine what the dispersion of African people into outer space would look like, through my concept titled Utopian Diaspora. Diaspora refers to the displacement or dispersion of people who still maintain affiliations with their culture and given most of our culture is preserved in artefacts, I chose earthly tones, basketry, and a grass mat to communicate these ideas,” explained Ncanana.
He would love to own a creative design house one day, built on the foundations of fashion, yet encompassing other art disciplinaries.
Nsele, came third and won R20 000 worth of bursary funding; R2 000 in cash; and a R1 000 gift card. Nsele (31) from Newlands East, Durban is currently enrolled for his Postgraduate Diploma in Fashion and Textiles.
He expressed how humbled and excited he was to be placed in third position.
“I am also happy for my fellow DUT brother for his second place win,” he replied ecstatically.
He explained that his concept for his design involved exploring some universal themes in divine healing as revealed in traditional Zulu.
“Themes included indigenous knowledge, ancestral and divine consciousness, truth, harmony, ecology, the transformation of the psyche and energy healing – boiling energy that moves from the third eye to the stomach and then back up to the head (the 3 chakra points of the third eye – solar plexus – crown). The title is umbilini, which is a gift by Amathonga that allows one to contact with the cosmic world and therefore able to sense their clients’ functioning levels. Umbilini as a psychotherapeutic tool is used in ukuthwasa (initiation),” he added.
Nsele commented that the outfit consisted of a hand-painted puffer jacket with cowhide pocket, weaved mock corset skirt, a wrap tee and springbok hide overlay and a goatskin African crown.
“The aim was to modernise Izinhlanya’s garments and artefacts they used to connect to other worldly spirits which are governed by Amathonga,” he stressed.
He added that he had used land animals that usually have associations with clans or ranks, also leopards which are also associated with Ndau spirit guides from certain royal clans.
“I used animals in the print to represent the processes where ancient ancestors appear as animals in our dreams. It took a lot of time as I was doing a lot of hand techniques which included painting, dying, weaving and quilting,” he relayed.
Nsele’s advice to future DUT designers is when designing and conceptualising, be one’s self and speak on concepts that one can relate to because the world needs more individuals and leaders. “Work smart not hard and finally enjoy what you are doing as happiness is very important,” he said.
Professor Runette Kruger: Executive Dean, Faculty of Arts and Design, extended her congratulatory message to the students and the Fashion and Textiles Department. “Our Fashion students, graduates and colleagues go all-out in harnessing talent and hard work,” she said.
DUT’s Public Relations alumna, Vuyisile Ngobese, who currently serves as Public Relations Officer for the Hollywoodbets Foundation, shared her overview on the event. Ngobese was part of the judges for the HDJ 2023. The categories were: Best dressed female, Best dressed male, Best dressed couple and Best dressed according to theme.
“The theme for this year was, ‘Out of This World,’ which was taken from a poem by Ken Tweddell, where he highlights stars and futuristic elements. The audience had to showcase their interpretations of the theme in a unique way and we were looking for a well-presented garment that aligns to the theme, and the creativity in the use of different textures,” explained Ngobese.
The winner for the Best dressed female was Jessica Nkosi, and for the Best dressed male category, it was Emmanuel Jiya. Her main highlight of the event was the performance by the international Ndlovu Youth Choir, who sang the national anthem.
Pictured: Thabiso Ncanana and Andile Nsele took second and third runner up positions at the 2023 Hollywoodbets Durban July Young Designer Award competition. (Supplied pictures).
Waheeda Peters/Nikiwe Sukazi
