Fabrice Moyo, Olé Ledimo and Gift Kgosierileng are some of the local designers honoured at the second Fashion Industry Awards South Africa (FIASA) on Wednesday at The Firs in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

A creative director and founder of the brand Franc Elis, Moyo has been residing in SA  since 2002 and over the years he has merged his perception of SA culture with his Cameroonian history as it “makes up who he is as a person”.

He walked away with an African Fashion Brand of the Year award.

“Being recognised by my peers means a lot to me and it means my contribution is valid. Yes, I don’t work for an award but being honoured makes me appreciate my efforts much better,” said Moyo.

“Such an award means I can go down in history as the guy from Cameroon who contributed to the fashion of South Africa which will leave a lasting legacy for my children to look back at it in awe.

“I believe that all of us come from somewhere, especially to a city like Johannesburg… it essentially means we come to this place with a little bit of our history to contribute to the lifestyle and culture here. I do that with my overview of fashion. It’s also important for me to bring that duality which I possess as a South African citizen born in Cameroon,” said Moyo.

Fusing his one-of-a-kind paintings and bespoke tailoring has been part of Ledimo’s DNA. He is the founder of House of Olé and his career spanning over two decade include being at the helm at Loxion Kulca. He explains that the secret behind sustaining relevance in the fashion industry is always keeping your ear on the ground and your eyes peeled for everything that’s happening around you. He took away home the Menswear Brand of the Year award.

“It’s also very important to do what you love and what truly fulfils you. If you respond to your calling, you’re highly likely to do it forever. Another important factor is to always bear in mind that you should never stop growing and nurturing your talent or skill. Learn to keep honing and sharpening your skill,” said Ledimo. 

Upington-born, Northern Cape, designer Kgosierileng, founder of No Modern Slave, believes ownership and identity are something he had been striving to infuse in his designs.

He explains that he draws a lot of inspiration from nature and various textures and has a keen fascination with imperfect shapes and an endless pool of colours and shades.

Kgosierileng was awarded the Culture and Heritage Designer of the Year award. 

“It has been very important for me to preserve my heritage through fashion. My brand is all about taking pride in who you are and where you come from. It’s about expressing yourself with pride by being able to wear it,” he said.

“I am more about putting the focus on indigenous culture and heritage and it gives me great pleasure to use my platform to highlight who and what I am.”