The judge’s decision was tough but the Mr Price New Designer (ND) finalists have been selected for the inaugural 031 Collection.
In no particular order they are: Jacqueline Munsami of Crossmoor; Claire Mackenzie of Pietermaritzburg; Gregory Sandile Dladla of Klaarwater; Ludwig Bezuidenhout of Durban; Hanrie Lues of Durban North; Cindy Leigh Armstrong of Howick; Kaila Goss of Durban; and Belinda Morgan of Durban North.
One of these exceptional designers will win R20 000 in cash from Mr Price and a mentorship programme with the Mr Price design team while they conceptualise their range to be sold in selected Mr Price stores.
The event organisers opened this competition to designers aged between 18 and 26 years, who are either studying fashion full time and in their final year or have a qualification in fashion. The judges were looking for original storyboards with out-of-the-box, yet wearable, fashion that will have visual impact on the runway. They called for attention to detail that showed obvious design talent and style.
The show’s producers then brought together a specialist judging panel comprising top designers Francois Vedemme and Leigh Schubert, Mr Price Trend Executive Joanne Coelho, Ice Model Boss Tiffany Prior and Wisdom and Youth Agency Fashion Executive Amber Jones. Their task was to select eight finalists who not only showed an outstanding flair for fashion, but also had advanced garment construction capabilities.
These finalists, along with eight of Durban’s top established designers, will show their ranges at the 031 Collection on May 19, 20 and 21 at 33 Cobham Grove off Umgeni Road.
Tickets will be on sale shortly at Computicket. For more information call Steven at 031 263 2240. sjb@eastcoast.co.za