Young designers explore the fashion business in the young designer workshops on the STADIO Randburg campus

On Wednesday, September 18, engaging workshops for young designers took place at the STADIO Randburg campus. The event ran from 12:00 to 15:00 and aimed to inspire emerging fashion designers by offering both creative and business insights.

The workshop began with a warm welcome from Happy MaKhumalo Ngidi, a key figure in the fashion industry. She set a positive tone for the afternoon by encouraging participants to immerse themselves in the learning experience.

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“So today is basically a workshop for fashion students linked to a campaign that Proudly South African runs every year called: Local Fashion Police, which aims to show South Africans that we have excellent quality products in this country; The fashion industry is very labor intensive, creates a lot of jobs and makes a huge contribution to the value chain of this sector, so in short, today we are simply showing students the real world of fashion,” Ngidi said.

Otsile Kgosi, representing renowned local brand Otis Seflo, took the stage to share his knowledge of the business side of fashion. His presentation focused on the realities of turning a creative passion into a sustainable business, offering practical advice on how young designers can succeed in a competitive marketplace.

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The “Wear Local” workshop highlighted the importance of embracing and promoting local fashion, emphasizing the need for young designers to connect their work with their cultural roots, while maintaining a strong entrepreneurial approach.

Janis Robson, who is business development director for SMEs at FNB, spoke about the importance of why local products play a key role in fashion. “Supporting our local business is important because it inevitably contributes to the growth of the economy. Knowing the current constraints of the economy, we must be able to build from scratch.”

The students were divided into two groups, each of them given a different problem to solve, and then both groups had a chance to present their answers to the audience. This gave a sense of the real work environment that awaits students.

The event was not only a learning opportunity, but also a celebration of creativity and collaboration, allowing participants to network and exchange ideas with like-minded people.

The workshops were a success, and their participants were inspired and equipped with valuable knowledge necessary to further their careers in fashion.

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