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Ncane wows the judges

ZANELE Ncane is set to capture the fashion industry by storm. In a fine showing at the 16th Annual Vukani! Fashion Awards, the budding fashion designer was declared the winner.

Ncane scooped the prestigious award for the Dad Fund Vukani Best Collection Category. The awards are designed to support up-and-coming designers and give them the chance to showcase their talent.

Ncane faced stiff competition from the young forerunners in the industry, but unique creativity and international outlook gave her an edge over the other short-listed candidates.

She won the very latest start-up kit from Bernina Machine to the value of R9400 and a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend a five week mentorship programme in the US, sponsored by the DAD Fund to the value of R350000.

"Winning this award is a great opportunity to establish myself in the industry. I am very excited and privileged to win this award. Getting this nod and support from industry experts in the early days of creating a business is a tremendous opportunity," said Ncane.

She will leave in September to begin her mentorship in the US.

Ncane, who hails from KwaZulu-Natal, is a student at the Durban University of Technology.

Her designs were playful by her choice of colours and accessories such as the exaggerated head pieces. She had a fusion of simplicity with a touch of intricate detail in the finished garment.

Her choice of materials and unique designs set her apart from the other finalists, making her the winner.

Her playful style, infused with modern details and often inspired by her African heritage, are exquisitely moulded and always with a whimsical touch that makes them distinctly her own, whether it's her geometric experimentation, her unusually sculpted fabric or her unconventional use of materials.

She said the award would allow her to make her dream of establishing her own label a reality.

"My aim going forward is to launch a label and to unleash a flurry of delightful pieces on to both local and international runways, as well as for celebrities."

Previous winners, including the very talented Gert Coetzee, have gone on to great opportunities.,

With promising young designers such as Ncane, executive president of Safda and founder of the Annual Vukani Fashion Awards, Sonwabile Ndamase believes that its local clothing enterprises are strengthening their value-added service and becoming more competitive

"The level of expertise for an intermediate student to be able to come up with that design, put it together and present it in the sophisticated way that Zanele did, was absolutely outstanding."

Ndamase said the award was invaluable to new designers.

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