I got some really good feedback on my SDC project today – I was told that I was very high on the list of people to be entered into the competition, and that I’d produced the best set of presentation boards that Andy had ever seen from me. This was all really great to hear – I feel like the start of this year was really slow for me, and I really didn’t enjoy myself or my projects much, and the SDC project really opened me up and turned things around a bit. I got a bit of constructive criticism, and Andy said that the digitally printed and hand-finished sample I included on my presentation board was much better and more engaging that the plain hand printed one. I agree with him and explained that I’d had many grand plans for my digital prints, but was unable to carry through with them because the prints took for ever to come back. I’d really like to continue to work on my extra fabric samples, but our access to the workshop has been closed off so that the fourth years have enough space and time to work on their final pieces, so I think (depending on time) that I’ll do a bit more paper work and create an extra presentation board with some alternative designs and colour options just in paper.

We’ve had our last Design and the Market session, and now have to produce a 2000 word personal enterprise proposal. We’ve worked through NESTA’s creative enterprise toolkit and had some absolutely fantastic talks from some incredible speakers (Patricia van den Akker came to speak to us and I’ve never taken so many notes so quickly – 6 sides of A4, plus some sneaky phone photos of her slides so I can come back to them later!). My only problem is that throughout the workshops I haven’t really had a solid business idea – I want to design and make things for sure, but I haven’t had that spark of an idea that has ignited a passion in me. I really want to focus on personal branding, because I feel that where ever I end up going after uni (working for a design company, working freelance alongside having a “real” job, or going into business for myself) this would be very beneficial to me. I’ve mentioned in posts before about how I want to “discover who I am” and I feel that identifying my values and passions using the NESTA worksheets has really helped with that, and I’m sure that expanding this idea into my fourth year report will set me up really well. I just have no idea how to go about doing it. I feel a bit like I’ve floated through the workshops without a solid idea and now that I don’t want to write a business plan I’m a bit lost.

ap·o·se·mat·ic

/ˌapəsiˈmatik/

Adjective (of coloration or markings) Serving to warn or repel predators. (of an animal) Having such coloration or markings.

Landing in Dubai where it was warm and very busy and here was our next plane to Hong Kong

very many Emirates planes all in rows!!

and rows

and more rows

good bye Dubai and hello Hong Kong

with an eight hour time difference and no sleep we were extremely sleepy by now

but we met with Tracy from SDC who is the Marketing and Communications Director

at the airport and made our way to the hotel

huge docks with row after row of shipping containers

all amazing colours

Our hotel The Royal Pacific and Towers

After settling in to our room

we had a quick change and then met some of the group for our

evening meal at a local restaurant where I soon learned that if I was

to eat I had to master  chop sticks

After eating we went for a walk with the group to see the laser light

show, the colours and the reflections in the water were incredible

My little camera didn’t do them justice

dancing lights!

After a little sleep and a great breakfast the group met to go and

visit Central Textiles, yarn and denim specialists.

Central Textiles in  Zhanjiang a city in China spins the yarn

and this is sent onto Hong Kong for dyeing with indigo.

They produce 9.4 million lbs a month and create 3 million yards of denim for

the clothing companies such as Gap Abercrombie and Fitch, Levis and Guess

This is their VSEP treat system

Vibratory Shear Enhance Process

Yarn is spun in China

indigo dyeing

indigo dyed floor

washing the yarn

testing area

the Vibratory Shear Enhance Process

is a filter system so the water can be reused in the dyeing process

and the excess indigo is collected and reused too

at Central Textile sales office listening to how the

cloth is used

special finishes

My time in Hong Kong was filled with spectacular culture and sightseeing, business and information. I met nine of the most remarkable designers from around the world, it was an incredible experience added to that, the opportunity to meet, hear and connect with industry experts and make new friends from all over the world. Finally I want to say a great big thank you to everyone involved, to Clariant, sponsers of the event, to the SDC for giving me this incredible experience, especially Tracy Cochrane the Marketing and Communications Director at SDC who looked after us so incredibly and to everyone at Society of Dyers and Colourist from the CEO Graham Clayton to Angela in the head office keeping us all organised by email ~ THANKYOU

This took place in Hong Kong at the beginning of December but the work started back in April 2012 where we were set a 4 week brief for 3rd year textile design to explore a trend forecast for the following year.  We were to research this along side the SDC brief which was to demonstrate the creative, imaginative and original use of colour in either fashion or textiles and the theme was to to Fashion Colour Responsibly.

Criteria

• colour as an integral component of the design process
• development of the designs, from concept to final design product or application
• excellent presentation and clarity of ideas
• innovative or creative approach to incorporating some aspect of thinking around this year’s theme of ‘Fashioning Colour Responsibly’, within the original design and/or final design application.

The judges will assign marks for each of these four categories.

Deliverables

• For regional heats, work to be mounted on a maximum of four boards of up to A2 size (please do not include any additional artwork/portfolio or finished garments).
• A type-written statement on one A4 sheet – no more than 500 words!
• If you win your regional heat, you are encouraged to bring one extra piece of work to the grand final judging, this could be a finished article or a sample garment.

Basis of Submission

• The work can be based on a fashion or textile design project produced as part of the standard course curriculum or specifically for the SDC International Design Competition.
• Content is at the discretion of the student, and can include finished roughs, design sheets, illustrations, working drawings, mood boards, photographs, fabric indicators, material swatches, etc. At least one board must outline the colour theme with the colour palette clearly indicated.
• Each submission must be uniquely titled and must be supported by a typewritten statement in English (no more than one A4 page / ~500 words) explaining the background and inspiration for the work.
• Boards: these should be A3 (297 x 420 mm) or A2 (420 x 594 mm) in size, with your artwork securely mounted on. Never submit any more than the number of boards requested.
• Only one entry may be submitted by each student.
• A maximum of three entries per college; one tutor should be identified as the contact per college and be responsible for submitting an entry form.

Judging

In most instances, the students will be invited to bring their boards and statements to the regional heats. They will meet the judges and have the opportunity to give some background on their project and their use of colour. Where this is not possible alternative arrangements will be made.

Additional information

Fashioning Colour Responsibly – what will your approach be?

This year’s theme of ‘Fashioning Colour Responsibly’ must also be included in the design and/or the written statement.

The theme highlights issues around sustainability and the challenge of producing environmentally friendly textiles and fashion. Some people consider the textile industry to be one of the most environmentally harmful in the world. (Ideas to consider can be downloaded from the full brief opposite).

So I thought you might be interested in my process ~ here follows my sketchbook development and textile samples enjoy

Textile View is a trend forecasting journal which was full of inspiration and this was one of my starting points.  I chose their theme Beyond Nature as it was filled with colour and reminded me of the amazing bugs we have in the   D’Arcy Thomson Museum at Dundee University.  Ernst Haeckel was another inspiration with his amazing colourful detailed illustrations.

notes/ideas

visit the D’Arcy Thomson Museum

silk cocoons

tied shibori – shaped with marbles, wooden balls, tied with thread

indigo dyeing – research sustainability across all areas of cloth colouring

sheen created with foils, angelina fibres

embroidery – tufted stitches mixed yarns nylon, monofilament

Inspiration from Poul Beckmann’s Living Jewels a beautiful book filled with amazing photography

notes/ideas

pleats – heat pressed

gathers – stitch – elastic

folds – fan – paper – origami

 embroidery – free machine embroidery

Smocking use of pleating/pleater

notes/ideas

Michelle Griffiths use of shibori

Issey Miyake Pleats Please

notes/ideas

pleated fabric by Jurgen Lehl

photos taken in the D’Arcy Thomson Museum

notes/ideas

fashion in bold and vibrant colours from Gucci and others

notes/ideas

Chanel A/W 2012

Issey Miyake – Pleats Please

Issey Miyake – 3d Dresss

notes/ideas

butterflies photographed at the D’Arcy Thomson Museum

Colour inspiration

folded and pleated fabric

below development from my design inspiration

using mixed media and collage

shapes and marks

stencils and separations

below

fabric manipulated with heat and coloured with disperse dyes

dyed and pleated

below colour stories which didn’t work so well

dyes mixed ready to print and colour the next samples

stencils cut for the screen-printing

below initial experiments with acid dye and illuminant dye

experimenting with print and pleats

NOTE ~  The best work comes through developing on cloth as the sketch book pages cannot give the same appearance

and texture as silk cloth ~ below building up layers of dye, print and layers of colour onto silk

 - sand washed, heavy weight habotai, chiffon and organza

Cloth dyed and ready for over printing

Printing with illuminant dyes

after printing but before steaming

after printing but before steaming

after printing but before steaming

below are  some of the many samples I printed after the steaming process it really is like magic

and I am addicted to printing cloth this way

putting the fabric into context using adobe photoshop

dyed printed and pleated

To show my work in context I used a photo of  catwalk model Ginta Lapina to give an idea of how the design would look in fashion

to do this I photographed the fabric

you can see below on the context board

Books that I used as part of my inspiration were

Art Forms in Nature – Olaf Breidbach

Living Jewels: The Natural Design of Beetles – Poul Beckmann

Sustainable Fashion and Textiles -  Kate Fletcher -  information about the lifecycle and sustainability  of fashion and textiles looks at practical alternatives, design concepts and social innovation. It challenges existing ideas about the scope and potential of sustainability issues in fashion and textiles and explores human needs and the slow fashion concept. Kate Fletchers’ best practice list explains a number of ways which large corporations can minimize the impact to the environment.

The fabric and yarn dyers handbook - Tracey Kendall

Traditional Scottish Dyers Handbook and how to use them  – Jean Fraser

Indigo – Jenny Balfour-Paul – All about indigo

Eco Colour – India Flint – Explains Environmentally Sustainable Dyeing

Natural Dye – Gwen Fereday – explains how cloth can be coloured using using 5 natural dyes and mordants

Memory on Cloth - Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada – Shibori as a means of patterning cloth

Structure and Surface – Cara McCarty and Matilda Quaid – Amazing textures by Japanese Textile Designers combining traditional Japanese craft  with new industrial techniques using unusual materials to produce incredible results.

Tinctorial – Bloom amazing images of natural dyeing

Three Dimensional Embroidery – Janet Edmonds

Art of Manipulating Fabric – Colette Wolf

You can see from the books above that I was considering colouring cloth using natural dyes, however after much reading I also realised that natural dyeing would not necessarily give me the vibrant colours I was looking for and that it also has an impact on the environment.  With only four weeks to complete I made the decision to use what I was already familiar with. I knew acid dyes on protein fibres would be perfect for this as the silk would have lustre and the acid dyes would give the impact and depth of colour I was looking for.  I also researched  how companies can use these dyes and still protect the environment.

This was my favourite brief, I so loved working with colour and it has set me up perfectly for my final year at DJCAD.  During the summer I created more cloth to make into scarfs to sell, below are some of the close up details of the designs, all inspired and using the same techniques as the above.

and books were a great source of information

the amazing trend forecasting bloom journals by Lidewij Edelkoort

this one is my favourite

The Society of Dyers and Colourist was the final brief of the year under the Partnership Networks and Connections Module.

inspiration in all things bugs and

 Art Forms in Nature ~ Ernst Haeckel

Selvedge magazine has introduced me to many amazing designers over the years, this edition  featured  Mary Katrantzou a fashion designer from Greece. I adore her use of colour and pattern and the amazing photographer who captured her designs Eric Madigan Heck.  His work is outstanding and is an art in itself. He has photographed some of my favourite designers work too.  His work interests the part of me that would love to be a stylist, arranging accessories, interiors etc for magazine shoots and photography.

Eric Madigan Heck  photography

Mary Katrantzou florals

As a textile designer I often wonder how my designs would be interpreted into the final outcome

the designers choice of model is important on how their cloth will be seen

One model who has cropped up often this year is Ginta Lapina from Latvia

Again the stylist in me is fascinated by the photo shoots she has appeared in

for many of the finest; Kenzo, Yves St Laurent, Hermes, Stella McCartney, Valentino, Chanel,

Versace, Fendi and Prada and many many more

Muse Magazine

look book for Neiman Marcus

As ever this list would not be complete without the mention of Issey Miyake  and his  Pleats Please Collection.  I now own the book of the same title and it is filled with incredible design and shape.

Chanel - autumn/winter 2012-13 collection was another favourite

with the mix of textures from light weight chiffon to woollen yarns

Comme des Garçons

shape colour and form

Reiko Sudo of Nuno Corporation was first introduced to me by James Donald whilst I was studying Textile Art at Dundee College

And has been a constant source of inspiration through the Nuno Books

I was very lucky in November to see her work in real life in Edinburgh at the Dovecot Studios

a whole gallery dedicated to textiles – it was incredible

and Rowan Mersh and his Textile Sculpture is my latest fascination.  His work intrigues me and with my latest love of all things 3 dimensional; form and shape within fabric, you can see why

So this ends my inspiration for now hope you enjoy the links I’ve included

Judy

SDC International Design Competition won by Judy Scott from the UK

Judy Scott, a third year Textile Design student from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art at Dundee University in the UK, has been named the top new creative talent in the world at the grand final of the Society of Dyers and Colourists’ (SDC) annual International Design Competition at a prestigious awards evening held in Hong Kong in December 2012. The competition is sponsored by Clariant.

Judy was chosen over nine other finalists representing Australia, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Bangladesh and South Africa. All entries had to show evidence of using colour as an integral component of the design process as well as incorporating some aspect of this year’s theme of ‘fashioning colour responsibly’. It was felt that Judy’s work, entitled ‘Natures Jewels’, showed a real understanding of the brief as well as an innovative use of colour in the expression of her designs.

Judy commented: “My inspiration came from the plant and insect illustrations of Ernst Haeckel and a collection of bugs held in The University of Dundee D’Arcy Thomson museum; bright vibrant beetles all waiting to be developed into textile design. I developed my designs through mixed media, collage, photography and drawing and translated these into designs suitable for hand printing by mono and screen-printing methods. These would be further developed on the cloth and fabric choice would determine which dye methods I would implement. To keep the beauty richness and depth of the colour from my primary research, acid dyes on protein fibres would give lustre and sheen to the fabric. Colouring the cloth by hand enabled me to mix exact quantities for weight of fabric ensuring no wastage. Large-scale production using these methods could have a greater impact on the environment and I’ve looked at a number of ways of minimising this impact. Re-use and exhaust dye baths and automated dispensing are just two suggestions, both processes I adopted in the studio on a smaller scale. Results were good with the colour palette and the depth of colour achieved matching the intensity of the development work.

Receiving this beautiful trophy along with the amazing cash prize really enforces that I was so right to follow my dreams and come to study at the age of 50 and shows it is never too late to learn. The £1,000 is going into my equipment fund as I am saving to purchase a professional steamer for my print studio. This will enable me to finish my hand printed fabrics professionally in order for me to sell my designs and create accessories for fashion and interiors with confidence”.

Judy goes home with the SDC Colour Design Award 2012, £1,000 cash and the Veronica Bell trophy. The trophy is in honour of the late Dr Veronica Bell, (an SDC past-president) to acknowledge excellence in the field of colour and design.

Talking about her win, Judy said: “I feel very privileged and honoured to have won this beautiful Veronica Bell Trophy. My time in Hong Kong has been filled with spectacular culture and sightseeing, business and information. I have met nine of the most remarkable designers from around the world, it has been an incredible experience added to that, the opportunity to meet, hear and connect with industry experts and make new friends from all over the world. Producing this body of textile designs pushed me to experiment more with layering colour on colour and was great preparation for the work I’m now undertaking in my final year for my degree show in May 2013. Finally I want to say a great big thank you to everyone involved”.
Second place went to Yumna Ali, aged 21 from Iqra University in Pakistan, who impressed judges with her submission entitled ‘Natural Dyes for Kids’. Third place was awarded to Thossapol Kerdkaew, aged 20 from Thammasat University in Thailand with his entry entitled ‘Aggressive Glamour’.

The competition, which is sponsored by Clariant, a world leader in the field of specialty chemicals, is open to undergraduates registered on fashion/textile design courses. Keith Parton from Clariant commented: “Our products enhance every aspect of modern life by providing colour and a vast array of functional effects. It is therefore a great honour to sponsor SDC’s International Design Competition which encourages the creative use of colour in fashion and textile design. The competition has shown over the years that it offers an incredible experience to the students, and acts as a great springboard into the industry. We congratulate Judy and wish all the students the very best of luck in the future”.

The competition judges were Vincy Cheng, Fashion Communications Manager at The Woolmark Company in Hong Kong, Dr Joshua Law, Programme Director at CITA in Hong Kong, and Chris Sargeant, Chair of the SDC Board of Trustees.

Comments Dr Graham Clayton, Chief Executive of SDC: “At SDC we work hard with educational institutions across the world to ensure that the next generation of fashion, textile and design students has a clear understanding of colour. It is always exciting to see the competition entries and this year the standard has been incredibly high. All the finalists have worked hard and on behalf of SDC, I would like to congratulate them all on such innovative and creative designs.”

As the leading educational charity dedicated to advancing the science of colour worldwide, the UK-based SDC encourages the creative use of colour in fashion and textile design and is a committed supporter of up and coming young designers.

Paper:

Knitted Development and Process:

Knitted Designs:

Mock Knitted Designs (Photoshop Development):

Amakrwala: stepping from being boys to men in style...

The name Laduma Ngxokolo is followed by quite a list of accolades. He won ‘the South African national leg of the South African Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) Design Competition in 2010’ (from http://www.designindaba.com); in the same year he made a trip to London for the SDC competition and his knitwear collection, “The Colourful World of the Xhosa Culture”, secured him as first prize winner internationally; last year one of Laduma’s knitwear pieces made him a finalist for the 2011 Design Indaba Most Beautiful Objects in South Africa competition and he also had a number of his pieces sent off to Milan by Li Edelkoort of Trend Union as part of the Talking Textiles exhibition for the Milan Design Week. And that’s not even all of it.

In case you are not familiar with Laduma Ngxokolo’s work, his brand, MaXhosa by Laduma, creates pure mohair and Merino wool jerseys ‘using only traditional Xhosa designs and colours’ (from http://www.sa-people.com). His use of these ‘high quality natural fibres, [of which] South Africa produces more than 75 percent of the world’s mohair’ (from http://www.africanknitwear.com), has incidentally made Laduma somewhat of a spokesperson for our local wool industry.

There is so much to be written about Laduma, but then again, so much already has; all you need do is Google him. Now to let you in on my evening chat with Laduma; he, in PE (he’s my homeboy) and I, in Joburg.

Laduma Ngxokolo and Amandla Kwinana

Chatting about Work

Jozichic: Hi, bhuti (respectful Xhosa way of calling a young man). How was your day?

Laduma Ngxokolo: It was hectic, hey. I was working on some pieces for my upcoming collection.

Hard at work, I see. Well, often you find designers expressing how they would like those who wear their clothing to feel. Do you have a certain emotion that you aim to infuse in wearers of MaXhosa?

Yes. I want them to feel confident. I do not want people to feel that MaXhosa is inferior to international brands, but rather consider them to be at the same level. People overseas feel confident celebrating their local brands. I would like us to also be proud in celebrating ours as opposed to celebrating foreign brands.

The role you’ve played in the mohair and wool industry in SA, the Eastern Cape, to be more specific, has been astounding. More designers are following suit, take Kelly Esterhuyse’s mohair collection that won her the 2011 Elle Young Designer Competition. Our fashion industry has been receptive and excited about mohair. Do you think there is more that the industry can do?

There is more that designers can do. Most designers don’t use mohair. Maybe five or even two percent of designers use local material. They produce items that say ‘Made in South Africa’ but foreign material was used in those products. The use of local material is crucial. More can be done because this contributes positively to our local industry.

And the consumers? What can we do besides supporting the mohair and wool industry through purchasing their products?

People can speak about them from a technical point of view. The government also has a responsibility to mobilize the industry. Ours is primitive when compared to international industries such as those in Japan and Italy.

You’re from PE and are also based there. How is the fashion scene and is there an active fashion community or regular fashion events?

Currently there isn’t much ambiance in fashion in PE townships. It’s better in the suburbs where brands like Gideon and MooiMooi are making waves. Otherwise the industry is growing. Another brand that’s doing well in PE at the moment is Silverspoon; they are going up at a fast pace and their clothes are set to be in Edgars stores. PE can’t be another Cape Town or Joburg, hence the philosophy of MaXhosa; a local brand with a global perspective.

MaXhosa by Laduma...

You’re heading off to London once more, for the Ubuntu International Project Showcase. Can you give us a sneak peek into what MaXhosa by Laduma will be offering this time around?

I’m in the process of creating new pieces. It is an extension of my existing collection but I’ll be adding 15 more styles to it. So it is the same theme, different styles. I’m creating a high-end heritage brand, like Misoni… although they are too expensive. (laughs)

One mentions MaXhosa by Laduma and two things come to mind: knitwear and Xhosa designs. Will you still continue with these in your creations or are you looking to expand to other textiles and cultures?

MaXhosa is about preserving the Xhosa culture. But it’s modern la way (like that). Take Pringle for instance. The Scottish brand has been around since the 1800s yet it is still stylish and relevant today. Yes, I definitely will be expanding when I am well established. I’ll make pants, basic shirts, etc. For now it’s MaXhosa knitwear. I believe on focusing on one thing and perfecting it.

Laduma @ work

There was talk of MaXhosa introducing a women’s range…

I might do women’s wear at the end of the year; it’s a maybe. I’ll probably do five designs and then test the response. I think a collection eyamacherrie (for women) is coming along. There is a gap in the market.

To close off our Work Chat, shed a little light on whether MaXhosa will be available commercially, be it retail or certain boutiques across the country.

There has been a merchant in Long Street, Cape Town, we sent some MaXhosa pieces to. But there hasn’t been a retail store which is comfortable for us to establish a long-term relationship with. People who are interested can contact me.

And even more MaXhosa by Laduma

Chatting about Play

I’ve been itching to ask you this for ages. Many designers are quite fashionable individuals; some are flamboyant while others are simply stylish. Laduma, on the other hand, is hard to decipher. What is your personal style?

(Laughs) I don’t focus on myself. I don’t wear my jerseys most of the time because I hardly go out. I’m conservative for now. (More laughing) Amehlo ndiyawonqena (I’m quite shy). PE does influence the way I dress. If I were to dress the way I love dressing up, people would be shocked. Funny enough, when I go to England I feel under dressed. That’s when I put on my gear.

And which gear is that?

Bright coloured pants, usually in orange (his favourite colour). Never pink, though, no. I wear the pants rolled up to reveal bright coloured socks. So my style usually depends on the ambiance.

Orange pants... pic from trashness.com

Colourful socks by polo.. pic from joyofsocks.com

Do you think that by being relevant to both the fashion and design industries has had an influence on your image?

I realized one thing. A couple of companies approached me but not in the way I wanted. MaXhosa by Laduma is not only about fashion design. It is about educating. It is a philosophy of black consciousness. We have become sophisticated so much that we never speak about where we are from, who we really are. A cenyury from now, maybe even half a century, I want people to look back at MaXhosa by Laduma creations and get an understanding of what Xhosa people were like in our time.

Much like the antique Xhosa beadwork collection you saw and were inspired by at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum back in 2010?

Exactly. So doing what I’m doing now has made me realize that I am a philosopher, more than anything.

Last time we spoke you mentioned that you don’t watch television, why is that?

I don’t have the time… and I think it’s crap.

What do you get up to when you’re not working?

I have a lot of friends who are girls (laughs). I barely go out but when I do get time we go out to restaurants at the beachfront.

And your favourite place in PE?

The Red Location Development Park in New Brighton.

The Red Location...

What constitutes as fun-time for you?

You know when you’ve accomplished something you wanted to do? Celebrating afterwards is fun-time. Work first, then play.

Before we say our goodbyes, any words of advice to Jozichic readers with aspirations of entering the fashion industry?

People who succeed in life are not always talented; they don’t just work hard, they work smart. There are two principles I apply to my work: innovation and precision. These, I feel, guarantee success.

MaXhosa by Laduma jersey...

Contact Laduma at ngxokolo.laduma@gmail.com or call him on 078 3662111

*** MaXhosa by Laduma pictures were taken by DVKennedy Photography.

Lots of Chic Lovin’
Jozichic

When I first started researching colour in preparation for my proposal last year, the museum still had it’s own website, but had been re-named the Society of Dyers and Colourists Colour Experience. The SDC have just relaunched their own website which takes the place of five individual websites that were representing different aspects of the society and its activities. Unfortunately there is nothing on the SDC’s new website indicating how long ago the Colour Museum closed to the general public and why. The Colour Experience is now used as a teaching and learning facility, however access to this appears only to be available to pre-booked groups, rather than individuals like myself.

Despite this set back I intend to contact the SDC about my research, through their website to find out if their are any resources at a later date.

COOL THREADS: Ngxokolo's jerseys will be shown at Milan Design Week. Picture: Supplied

By Shaanaaz de Jager

AN up-and-coming Eastern Cape fashion designer who is tapping into fashion’s current ethnic trend is hoping to wow the industry when his work is shown in one of the world’s fashion capitals this month.

Three men’s jerseys – a cardigan, V-neck seater and  pull-over – designed by Laduma Ngxokolo will be on display at Milan Design Week, starting on Tuesday, April 12.

Ngxokolo, of KwaDwesi in Port Elizabeth, was the 2010 winner of the London’s Society of Dyers and Colourists award. He said he “could not believe it” when he heard his work would be exhibited overseas.

“I feel honoured. It was a shock as I’d never predicted this kind of exposure would come now. I expected it to come in 10 years’ time,” said an elated Ngxokolo, a former Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University BTech Textile Design and Technology student.

About 400000 visitors are expected to attend Milan Design Week. Ngxokolo’s jerseys will form part of the Talking Textiles exhibition, which will present innovative designs that use textiles as their main material.

Mohair South Africa is sponsoring Ngxokolo’s exhibition  and will cover his transportation and  mannequin rental costs.

TRIBAL TOUCH: Laduma Ngxokolo has been tapping into one of fashion’s hottest current trends for his jerseys. Picture: Mike Holmes

Ngxokolo was invited to the event by world-renowned  trends and design forecaster Li Edelkoort,  who showed his work to Rosita Missoni, head of the acclaimed international Missoni knitwear house.

“I met Li at the Design Indaba in Cape Town in February. I told her about my project and fortunately she was available to listen to my presentation,” he said.

Unfortunately Ngxokolo will not be able to show off his garments personally in Milan.

“I hope this exposure will open doors for me and that I will be able to present my work to the high end of the fashion and textile industry.”

Upcoming projects include showing a collection at this year’s SA Fashion Week in Johannesburg and sending knitwear to Paris to be sold at Heartwear, a store showcasing an innovative mix of African designs.

Ngxokolo specialises in knitwear and is establishing a label called  MaXhosa by Laduma, which will be ready to be launched in the next two months.

“After Milan I’m hoping to work with international fashion and textile industry leaders,” he said.

(This article was originally published in the MyWeekend section of Weekend Post on Saturday, April 9, 2011.)