2010 Vukani Awards
 
 
2010 Theme : Touch Africa : Fashion in 5 Basic Senses
 
Zanele Ncane
 
The Winners
 
The 16th  Annual Vukani! Fashion Awards took place last weekend 26th June 2010 at Ubuntu Kraal in conjunction with Metropolitan, Bernina, Dad Fund, Webo amongst other sponsors. It was an event of colossal magnitude with the finalists raising the bar in standard of product quality, innovation, creativity and ingenuity and only three talented young designers were awarded for their outstanding creations at the event. The three winners, Jane Wolff, Zanele Ncane and Yolande Maree scooped prestigious  awards for their creations from a selection of 14 finalists across South Africa,competing in the prominent competition.

Jane Wolff hails from warm province of KwaZulu Natal, won the Metropolitan Vukani! Award in the category of Most Innovative design which she amazed the crowd together with the judges with her intricate details, extravagant and bold designs.  She used different styles, shapes and embellishments to complete her silhouettes of her collection which featured garments blending international trends with a futuristic approach to African style for women. She drew her inspiration from emotions which came across in her designs. Ayanda Vilakazi, Marketing Manager of Metropolitan says "entrepreneurship especially amongst our youth is the future for South Africa.  Metropolitan is proud to sponsor the Vukani Fashion Awards for the second time, as it's a demonstration of what our brand stands for, "together we can".

Judges, including celebrity publicists and designer Simphiwe Majola, were impressed with the designer's attention to detail in her collection slick and sexy with a touch of boldness inspired by breaking boundaries and bringing different elements to complete the puzzle. Meanwhile Yolande Maree from North West and a 2nd year student at the North West School of Design impressed the judges, with her elegant, soft and flowing silhouettes in her designs. Her signature style is inspired by elegance, beauty, sensuality, charisma  and confidence. Her designs are sexy, subtle with a  touch of radiance in use of colours like gold and brown and yellow. She was awarded the Bernina Vukani! High Fashion! Commendation for her eye-catching long sexy and slick gown.

Zanele Ncane was the star of the event hails from Kwazulu Natal and is currently a student at the Durban University of Technology when she scooped the prestigious award for the Dad Fund Vukani Best Collection Category and amongst other prizes awarded she also got a mentorship sponsor to go abroad for a month.  Her collection was a fusion of simplicity with a touch intricate detailing to the finish of the garment by creating her own fabric in using painting techniques as her signature.  Her designs were playful by her choice of colours and accessories like exaggerated hats.  She combined earthy tones to achieve a subtle ecological and global feel for world travelers.

The Vukani! Fashion Awards marked the official closing of this year's successful Fashion Awards and African Fashion Exchange, which had run at Ubuntu Kraal in Soweto from 17-29 June. The workshops run in the 2 days, with the Fashion Awards show being held on the 26th June at 17h00. To tie in with this spirit of fashion, during the week from the 17th  leading to the Fashion Award were fashion shows in conjunction both local and international designers participating in the first ever African Fashion Exchange in which was conceived in this year.  Designers show cased their beautiful collections which were inspired by the continent's heritage and global influence in their designs. All shows were open to the general public. "My
calling in life is to promote and unleash unseen talent, that is why I am passionate about improving indigenous fashion in the South African through the Vukani! Fashion Awards", says Sonwabile Ndamase, Executive President of SAFDA and founder of the Annual Vukani Fashion Awards.  "There is still a lot of talent out there and that is more job for me to ensure that I achieve my mission", he adds. " Invited guests with leading designers from Ethiopia, Angola, Malawi, Swaziland, Botswana and South Africa presenting their collections.

All three Vukani! Fashion Award winners were provided with the very latest start up kit from Bernina Machine to the total value of R94000.00 which sponsored part of the prizes. The overall winner of this year's event Ms Zandile Ncane, wins a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend a 5 week mentorship programme in the USA, sponsored by the DAD Fund.  This opportunity forms part of the Young Entrepreneurs Programme.  The prize is worth + R350 000.00 and the winner will leave in September 2010 to begin her mentorship.
 
 
The Theme
Good business designers create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision & relentlessly drive it to completion.
Touch Africa: Fashion in 5 basic senses : designers are tasked to create designs and clothing with an impact, with soul, with a wow factor. Using their inspiration in designs creatively and appropriately satisfy the five basic senses of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste, which will inevitably lead to the satisfaction of a sixth sense- a feeling of emotional well-being. That is after all what most of us are striving for in life.
 
What is it that makes designers different frm one another (signature on fashion) bringing flavour and taste into fashion.
Your task for the Annual Vukani Fashion Awards 2010 is to create a collection for South Africans who are stepping up to conquer the world yet are unshaken in their South African identity. Draw inspiration from both traditional and contemporary influences to reflect a future focused South African outlook.
 
Brands are organic, growing or decaying, adapting to new mindsets and environments. Together with positioning, consider your direction - where you’ve been matters less than where you are going. Let’s wake up! Masivuke!
 

Designs:

The designs should reflect the touching Africa through the five basic senses, expressing South African youth culture yet be able to successfully compete on an international design stage. Designs:  
(1) Should show the energy of the youth;
(2) Should draw inspiration from both traditional and contemporary influences indicating a future focused on South African outlook; 
(3) Should reflect the new revolution in redefining South Africa’s consciousness to better reflect who we truly are; and
(4) The social change in fashion would like to see alternative in design and color.

Collection: 
 

(1) Design a Six – garment collection for the spring/summer 2010 season that encapsulates your signature design style; 
(2)  A range of menswear or ladies wear, or a combination of both, can be submitted.
Storyboards:
Your sketch must be presented in full colour, and on storyboards A3 in size. Your story board must include:
(1)           Technical drawings of both the front and the back of each garment;
(2)           Final fabric swatches that will be used; and
(3)           A motivation or description of the collection.

NB:        
    •    No substitutes will be accepted.
    •    All sketches entered will not be returned by post. However, arrangements can be made to personally collect them from the organizers.
    •    Accuracy to your storyboard submission will be taken into consideration by the judges.


Applicants

 
The competition is open to young individuals between the ages of 17 – 35 years, who are:
(1)           Fashion  Design students;
(2)           Post graduate students; and 
(3)           Up-and -coming designers.
 
Competition conditions
 
  • Only the highest quality and finish will be accepted on the garments of the finalist.
  • Should a garment fall short of the required standard, the garment will be eliminated from the competition at the judge’s discretion.
  • All entrants must be available for the final awards ceremony, if chosen as one of the 15 finalists.
  • An agreement with SAFDA and Vukani Range Creations will be entered into if you are selected as one of the finalists.
  • If you are selected as one of the finalists, you will be required to produce the collection in standard model size.
  • You will be required to produce Six outfits, which will be judged on the following categories:
 
Most Innovative Designer (one garment)

Best High Fashion Design/National Costume (One garment)
Best Collection /Ready to wear (overall Winner) Four garments
 
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