2 June 2010

KZN students wow the judges at Vodacom Durban July Young Designer Award

Durban – Durban University of Technology swept the boards at the regional judging of the Vodacom Durban July Young Designer Awards as over 110 outfit from design academies across the province vied for the attention of the judging panel at Greyville Racecourse.

At the end of an exhausting judging session, the panel of SA Fashion Week convener Lucilla Booysen, Durban designer Leigh Schubert, Fashion programme director Tiffany Prior, fashion stalwart Derrick Mhlongo and Gold Circle's Monica Holman shortlisted twenty regional finalists, 16 of whom came from DUT, and two each from Linea Academy and the Pietermaritzburg School of Fashion.

The twenty successful design students will now meet the winners from the regional judging of the competition in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Gauteng in the national showdown in Durban in just over a months time.

The judges were happy to take time to interact with the design students and offer advice on their creative process and technical execution.

"We are left with a fun, pretty assortment of our finalists from KZN, which is quite exciting," said Durban designer Leigh Schubert.

Prior was quick to highlight some exceptional talent in the shortlisted twenty garments. "There are two or three that will rank right up there with the best of the student finalists from around the country," she said.

"It was really encouraging to see the student fashion evolving and maturing, but as we expected in such a big entry, there were inevitably some that needed to pay closer attention to their creative process and interpretation of the theme," she added.

"Overall I am amazed by the standard of the entry from the KZN students," said Prior.

The judges job was made somewhat easier this year by a pre-judging process that helped streamline the entry from the 150 outfits that were paraded before the judges last year, to 112 this year.

The overall winner of the competition will receive a R10 000 cash prize from Vodacom and a trip to the 2011 London Graduate Fashion Week, as well as a piece of jewellery from Mark Gold Jewels worth R30 000.

The college or university that the winner is enrolled at will win a R30 000 bursary from Vodacom that can be used for bursaries for deserving students or the purchase of equipment to assist the fashion design students.

The twenty KZN finalists are: Carmen Freeman, Botho Chalebgwa (2 outfits), Dale Mccarthy, Jane Wolff, Nicole Hoyer, Julia Cronje, Nqobile Ndlela, Nonhlanhla Magasela, Chanelle Botha, David Fenn, Troy Clarke, Nonjabulo Ngcobo, Khanyisile Mhlongo, Sheena-Ann Unwin, Belinda Morgan, Kelby Jane Holmes, Casey Walters, Jessica Colepepper, Jason Mqookozo.

The Vodacom Durban July takes place at Greyville Racecourse on Saturday, 31 July 2010. More information can be found at www.vodacomdurbanjuly.co.za 

2010 Vodacom Durban July theme

"IT’S A BLOOMING GREAT DAY"

Plant a seed of good fortune,
In the garden of your mind.
Gather design, reap style,
Till it’s one of a kind.

Take a chance on wild,
Exotic if you must.
The flowers of our land,
Sub-tropical or dust.

A mixed bouquet,
In the early light of day.
Or maybe one brilliant bud,
Standing proud is the way.

Indigenous is ingenious,
A good bet to be seen.
Recycling’s one way,
Another is ‘think green’.

In a garden of colour,
One contest stands high.
A blooming great race,
The Vodacom Durban July.

The Vodacom Durban July
Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event

Dave Macleod/
Gameplan Media

Dave Macleod/
Gameplan Media

Dave Macleod/
Gameplan Media

Dave Macleod/
Gameplan Media

Dave Macleod/
Gameplan Media

Dave Macleod/
Gameplan Media

Dave Macleod/
Gameplan Media