PREPARATION HAS BEEN STARTED for the exhibition and accompanying fashion competition Durban Fashion Fair (DFF), which returns for the 15th time this year.
This year’s theme is, Where Legacy Liveswhich means that its organizers, the Municipality of Thekwini, are looking to host fashion designers to help them build and grow their fashion businesses to help future generations.
This year’s DFF will be held from September 16 to 18 and will conclude with the Recognition Awards at the Durban Exhibition Centre, Durban, and entries are already open from now until July 31.
Another thing that will happen in this year’s program is that the beauty of the work and the contribution made by different fashion designers who have been part of it for the past 14 years, most of them have already flourished fashion businesses will be highlighted.
Like every year, this time too a generation of young people will be announced who will be part of the 10-month DFF Mentorship Program, whose purpose is to help them grow and teach them a lot about the role of the fashion business.
The Chairman of the Economic Development and Planning Committee in the Thekwini Municipality, Councilor Thembo Ntuli said that this DFF program is one of the most important of the municipality and has helped to develop the economy of the city, KZN province and the whole country.
“In these 15 years, it has become very clear how useful the fashion industry is to develop the economy, which we have done through programs to sharpen skills, and we support fashion designers to build and grow their businesses – and help create job opportunities, so it means a lot to us to go to this stage,” said Ntuli.
Other fashion designers who have gone through the DFF program, who have gone on to become successful in the fashion industry – include Mzwandile Mathonsti of ZWANDYY, Makhosazane Ntshangase of Sistas Felas, Sandile Mngadi of DUKE Clothe Your Soul, Zama Gumede of Zaviar Fashion House and Kwenzekile Nkomo of Indoni Fashion House.