THERE ARE 13 SLEEPS TILL DURBAN FASHION WEEK!!

MTN DURBAN FASHION WEEK 2008 – 25 to 28 June

Against a backdrop of crashing waves, lively music and Durban’s tropical holiday spirit, MTN Durban Fashion Week 2008 will create a burst of creativity and excitement on the Sundeck at Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World from 25 to 28 June 2008!

Positioned as the cradle of South Africa’s best new and emerging design talent, MTN Durban Fashion Week 2008 will identify and nurture young and emerging designers by providing them with a platform to wow the world with their natural flair, enthusiasm and raw talent!

Showcasing celebrated local couturiers, Durban’s hottest new talent, and international designers, this year’s show is set to be phenomenal! Headlining this year’s showcase are several of South Africa’s leading designers including Gideon, Kluk CGDT and Karen Monk Klijnstra.

A contingent of South African and international media, VIP’s and celebs will descend upon the city over the four days to bear witness to one of the greatest fashion events on the South African calendar.

So, mark your diaries and prepare for a fashion fiesta!

MTN DURBAN FASHION WEEK 2008 — PRESS RELEASE

Young,energetic and funky MTN Durban Fashion Week, now in its fourth year, is once again set against the backdrop of Durban’s vibrant ambiance, magnificent Indian Ocean coastline and mixture of African, Eastern and Western cultural influences. MTN Durban Fashion Week 2008 is set to be a visual feast, presented by award-winning South African and international designers. Positioned as the cradle of South Africa’s young and emerging talent, MTN Durban Fashion Week 2008 will marry creativity with business, youth with experience and fashion with a cause, to present a truly spectacular and memorable event.

Developing and supporting young and emerging talent has always ranked high on the list of priorities for convener and co-owner of MTN Durban Fashion Week, Vanashree Singh. Concurrent with their annual young designer search at top design schools, MTN Durban Fashion Week has embarked on a ground breaking initiative, partnering with the KZN Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism (DACT) to launch an exploratory programme across KZN, whose main aim is to seek, cultivate and nurture would-be designers who have the talent but lack the means to achieve success in the fashion industry.

“MTN Durban Fashion Week has always taken the fashion business seriously and intrinsic to the success of any business is investment at a grassroots level. KZN has a wealth of exceptional design talent and our event presents exciting opportunities to showcase to a wide audience. The South African fashion industry is under continuous threat from foreign imports. We believe by investing in young South African talent, we are promoting Proudly South African brands and thereby making a positive impact on South Africa’s emerging fashion talent. Young talent — their creativity and hard work — is the very essence of what makes MTN Durban Fashion Week a success and we are proud of their achievements.” said Vanashree,

This was reiterated by Evan Schiff, spokesperson for, African Fashion International (AFI) who are joint owners of MTN Durban Fashion Week, “MTN Durban Fashion Week fulfils a vital role on the local fashion calendar which falls in line with African Fashion International’s strategic objectives of unearthing and developing young designers. Our intention is to help designers grow their brands and make sales, whilst establishing links with the wider fashion manufacturing industry. MTN Durban Fashion Week has taken a strategic decision to focus on this potential and going forward will play an important role in shaping the future of the South African fashion industry.”

Staying with last year’s winning formula, this year’s MTN Durban Fashion Week will again be held on the beach. From 25 to 28 June, the Sundeck at the Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World will play host to a plethora of media, fashionistas and patrons who will all descend upon Durban’s golden mile to witness the vibrancy of new design talent and the ‘joie de vivre’ of South Africa’s best established designers. Fashion lovers can expect to witness the latest trends in men’s and women’s fashion and accessories, showing international trends with an African twist. Limited tickets to each show will go on sale to the public through Computicket in June. There will also be a series of seminars presented by respected industry professionals, which will help equip designers with additional skills to support the growth of their business.

Title sponsor MTN is continuing to inspire South Africans with their ‘Everywhere you go’ philosophy that celebrates an attitude, achievement and doing things in an exceptional way. Anthony Garstang, Senior Manager: MTN Sponsorship, Events and Exhibitions said, “MTN is proud to once again sponsor the MTN Durban Fashion Week. Fashion is multi-faceted and impacts on us in different forms; this is important to MTN because as a leader in the mobile telecoms industry, we need to monitor fashion and trends to keep us at the forefront. Our consumers are fashion conscious – they want the latest in cell phones and technology to go with their fashionable lifestyles. South Africa can hold its own on the international fashion runways with fashion ranging from ethnic and traditional to classical and avant-garde. The 2008 MTN Durban Fashion Week will most certainly not disappoint dedicated followers of fashion.”

Showcasing celebrated local couturiers, hot new talent and international designers, on an ideal beach location, MTN Durban Fashion Week 2008 has all the right ingredients to create a breathtaking and unforgettable fashion experience.

THE SEARCH IS ON FOR NEW TALENT!
The diverse cultural melting pot of Durban has spawned a wealth of design talent – with the likes of Gideon, Karen Monk Klijnstra, Vino, Leigh Schubert, Gavin Rajah, Lindiwe Khuzwayo and Craig Native having roots in this city. Firmly established as the cradle of emerging talent, MTN Durban Fashion Week will again in 2008 provide young designers with a platform to exhibit their work to an international audience.

“The vibrancy, colour and passion of Durban are the inspiration for the deep well of young creativity in the city. We recognise that South Africa has an abundance of design talent and have focussed on developing and growing this talent. Our spotlighting of budding talent on our national and international fashion platform has proved to be extremely successful,” said director and convenor of MTN Durban Fashion Week, Vanashree Singh of VShe Promotions.

The Young Designer Search kicked off in November 2007 with a call to entry being sent out to 36 leading South African design academies from around the country, including the Durban University of Technology, Linea Academy, Cape Town College of Fashion Design, Elizabeth Galloway School of Fashion and the South African Institute of Style. The schools were required to send through the portfolios of their top graduating students. In addition, the graduates sent through their profile, the inspiration and motivation for their range as well as a storyboard with pictures.

A panel of highly respected industry representatives have selected the cream of the crop to showcase their work at MTN Durban Fashion Week 2008. The task of judging fell to Durban-based designer, Vino Moodley; media fashion fundis Terence Pillay and Kiki Ntuli; Grant Blackbeard, Head of Blackbeard and Dare retail outlets; and Greg Wallis, Head of the Durban Fashion and Design Council.

“Durban is undisputedly the heart of emerging fashion talent in South Africa and it is our intention to bring the top of young talent to the nation,” said Vanashree. The final selection in the Young Designer Search took place on Thursday 13 March. The selected finalists will win a slot to showcase at MTN Durban Fashion Week 2008 which takes place on the Sundeck at the Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World from 25 to 28 June. But first however, they will go through a rigid programme of planning, training and mentoring. MTN Durban Fashion Week goes a step further by contributing financially to each young designers range.

Young designers who were selected for this remarkable opportunity last year went on to reap the benefits and grow their careers. John Paul Gyima, who was one of the finalists last year, said, “Our showcase last year received tremendous media exposure, which has helped us to make inroads into the design industry. Thereafter I was afforded the exciting opportunity of working with Gideon! My client base has grown from zero to include private clients and several boutique owners. Thanks to MTN Durban Fashion Week I’ve also been invited to showcase at several fashion shows both locally and internationally”.

As a centre of excellence for fashion and design, Durban produces extraordinary talent. We invite the world to come and discover the best new young and emerging South African talent at MTN Durban Fashion Week 2008.

Prepared for MTN Durban Fashion Week
On behalf of Vanashree Singh
For more information, contact:
Debbie-Lee Kelly – PR Director, D/M/Y Connections
Or
Novisha Sewbalas – Senior PR Executive, D/M/Y Connections
Tel: (031) 267-6600 Fax (031) 267-6632
Email: Debbie-lee.kelly@tbwa.co.za
Novisha.sewbalas@tbwa.co.za

Editors Notes
1. There will be two MTN Young Designer Shows at MTN Durban Fashion Week, with five designers showcasing at each show.
2. Young designers will also be selected from the Vukani Fashion Awards, and these names will be released in May 2008
3. The following are the names of the finalists selected. Reserve finalists selected will participate in the young designer programme should the selected finalists be unable to participate.
Elizabeth Galloway School of Fashion
· Teresa Joubert
· Jolene Graham
· Stephen Van Eeden

Cape Town College of Fashion Design
· Zayne Isaacs
· Kerry-Anne Barnard

Durban University of Technology
· Maria (Becky) Beukes
Priscilla Bhika School of Fashion
· Smiso Mbindwane
Reserve:
· Zinhle Malevu
· Rose Molteno (Cape Town College of Fashion Design)
· Siyethemba Ngwenya (Durban University of Technology)
· Kerry-Anne Esau (Cape Town College of Fashion Design)