Fashion and Textiles students from the Durban University of Technology (DUT) have clinched two of the top 10 spots at the Hollywood Durban July Young Designer Award presented by Durban Fashion Fair. The Fashion and Textiles students are Avuyile Asisipho Sihlobo and Olwethu Payi.
The Hollywoodbets Durban July competition draws entries from institutions around Durban, Pietermaritzburg, the South Coast and surrounding areas in KwaZulu-Natal showcasing the best young, vibrant talents. The competition saw 100 designers from various institutions entering the much-anticipated competition.
Top 25 designers were chosen and DUT had 5 students who made it to that list. On the 19th of June, a fashion Show was held at the Gateway mall to choose the Top 10 designers, and DUT has 2 students who made it to the top 10.The winner will be announced at the end of a fashion show to be held at the Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse on Saturday, 06 July 2024.
Hailing from the Eastern Cape, Avuyile Sihlobo who is a third-year fashion and textiles student who gave a brief insight on her outfit theme. “The inspiration for my outfit came from Mami Wata (Mother Water), who is a water goddess in African Mythology. Mami Wata brings both beneficial things like fortune and prosperity but also can equally balance the beneficent side of her with her maleficent side, namely power, danger and destruction. Just as the ocean can be calm and tranquil it can easily turn volatile, bringing mass chaos and destruction,” she narrated.
The 22-year-old added that her outfit was made entirely from Calico from the waspie corset to the dress and the drapes. She utilised spider twill onto the waspie to add texture to symbolise the sand. The gradient of the dress is symbolic of the ocean in its entirety from the sand to the great depths of the ocean itself. She further dyed the draped bottom piece and left the calico in its natural state to effectively communicate the design.
In relying the information about the event, Olwethu Payi, a final year Diploma in fashion and textiles student at DUT said she feels nervous but excited to be part of the Top 10 in the Hollywood Durban July Young Designers Awards and sees this as a life changing opportunity, hence she chose a garment that is a symbol of rebirth and renewal.
Pictured: Olwethu Payi showcases her garment which merges symbols of waves and baptism.
“My concept merges two powerful symbols being ‘waves’ representing the flow of like and ‘baptism’ signifying spiritual rebirth. This makes us embrace the ups and downs of life’s journey, through the harmonious fusion of waves, blues and whites. Water inspired elements and baptismal symbols like head wraps and sea shells. An immersive atmosphere is created for self-reflection and discovery. Surrendering to the cleansing power of baptism, and emerging new, transformed and reborn,” she explained.
Payi chose to work with calico fabric as the base material for her garment, combining it with crepe bandages as patches and intentionally leaving loose threads hanging randomly throughout the garment. This unconventional combination adds a unique textural element and visual interest to the overall look of the design.
Nomonde Peter, a Fashion and Textiles lecturer at DUT said that the two students who are in the Top 10 of HDJ Young Designers Awards, each received R2000 courtesy of Gold Circle.
“The outfit needed to be fit for the race day, shows innovative, individual and forward thinking from these students. Judges are looking for a solid, thoughtful and interesting interpretation of the theme, which combines creativity with a distinct fashion edge. The theme for this year is ‘RIDE THE WAVE’, and students had to design one outfit according to the theme. The students were excited about being part of the competition, and they have worked very hard in making sure that their designs reflect an understanding of the context of the theme. The theme also allowed students to consider colours, textures, patterns, fabrication and imagery. Inspiration for this theme is endless, literally. All our eyes are on the 06 July 2024 where the winners will be chosen and the big amounts of prizes will be worn,” she said excitedly.
Pictured: Avuyile Sihlobo with her ‘Mami Wata’ design.
Thubelihle Dumakude
