The Hollywoodbets Durban July 2025 is one of Durban’s much-anticipated sporting events on the Durban sports calendar. Besides the sport of horse racing; fashion plays a cultural phenomenon role where students compete for the coveted title award of Best Young Designer, which is announced on the day of the prestigious race day.

The Hollywoodbets Durban July Young Designer Award, which is the biggest student fashion competition of the country, is a huge platform for emerging designers and a stepping-stone into the flashing lights of South African fashion.

It further showcases the talented, rising fashion talents that are currently studying fashion at design colleges and technikons across KwaZulu-Natal. Students were invited to submit their work embodying the race day theme.

With the theme being: “Marvels of Mzansi.” This captivating theme celebrates South Africa’s rich heritage, cultural diversity, and breath-taking landscapes, paying tribute to the nation’s extraordinary achievements.

Out of 130 students that had entered their garments in this glamorous competition, only 25 young designers were chosen to go through to the semi-finals. From the 25 semi-finalists, two crème de la crème DUT fashion and textiles students, Mpilo Sithole and Queenton Mjweni. sewed their way to reach the top 10 final list in the Hollywoodbets Durban July Young Designer Award presented by Durban Fashion Fair.

The panel of judges which includes Nonhlanhla Khumalo (Durban Fashion Fair), Vuyisile Ngobese (Hollywood Foundation), and designers Zama Mathe, Kathrin Kidger and Sandile Duke Mngadi, have all happily confirmed that this year’s fashion standard was set extremely high.

DUT top 10 finalist in the Hollywoodbets Durban July Young Designer Award, Mjweni expressed how elated she was with her achievement.

“I am over the moon, part of me still wants to pinch myself to see if I am not dreaming. It was indeed the greatest experience, from rehearsals to make-up to dressing up. It was such a blessing experiencing all the behind-the-scenes moments and also being on the screen,” said the euphoric Mjweni.

She expressed that this exquisite competition is an A grade experience for any young designer. “With this competition to date,  I witnessed the talent and skills of different designers. I also got to explore and network with the array of designers,” she said.

She gave some exhilarating insight into her brilliant design, saying that her design was inspired by traditional healers, the keepers of artefacts and history, and the ones that travel between the physical and spiritual world.

“The design was constructed with calico, which I dyed in colours that signify the healers, using a brush to create the trees and it heals the effect as they are contended to nature and its source of their medicine. The screen-printed elements represent purity, spiritual awakening, rebirth, light, and a divine presence. The coding fabric manipulation represents strength, and the puffy volume cape signifies the power in them,” she expressed.

For Mjweni, she wants to continue learning, exploring and creating more fashion beyond this competition.

“I see myself growing in the fashion industry as fashion is my greatest weapon to make a statement and to pass the message without saying a word,” she shared.

Sharing her congratulatory message to the two top 10 finalists was Ms Nomonde Peter, a Fashion and Textiles lecturer, and a third-year level coordinator at DUT who expressed that the university was proud of the two students who had made it to the top 10 of the Hollywoodbets Durban July Young Designer Award Competition.

“This years’ competition has been very hard to previous years. They really spent time working on their designs and it has been a backwards and forward moment from the design team to the production team. Selecting the students were very difficult for us as staff members because we went through a stringent, selection process before we sent the ones that will partake in the Hollywoodbets Durban July. We are very happy with the outcome and we are hoping that these two students will make DUT proud and will come out in the top three,” she shared.

After an extensive judging process, the winning designers will be announced at the Hollywoodbets Durban July which takes place on Saturday 5 July at the Greyville racecourse with the eventual fashion winner walking away with an array of prizes.

Pictured: Queenton Mjwen with a model showcasing her design.

Photography: Graham Daniel/Gameplan Media

Waheeda Peters