The City of Cape Town hosted a masterclass for young, passionate and upcoming fashion entrepreneurs. The first of its kind masterclass series is to give young designers and entrepreneurs insights into, and a step up, in the fashion industry.
The class, titled “Building a New Fashion Brand”, was held at Youngblood Africa in the CBD on Wednesday, 29 March 2023.
The initiative is part of the City’s Emerging Artists Programme. Twenty-five emerging designers and entrepreneurs were selected to participate.
Designer Devon Anderson, Aelahn contemporary clothing line designer Feroza Webster and SinCHUI collection designer Robyn Agulhas present the programme.
It focused on a number of aspects, including the design process, identifying a customer base, marketing, after sales and networking.
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City’s Emerging Artists Programme
The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia Van der Ross says the department’s Emerging Artists Programme gives young people a foothold in the various creative sectors, so in this regard, fashion is a natural fit:
“Youth development is one of the basket of services that the City’s Social Development and Early Childhood Development Department focuses on, and over the years, the department has developed quite a track record in unlocking opportunities for young entrepreneurs.”
Van der Ross says the department is hoping to expand on this masterclass concept in the future. This will give many more budding designers an opportunity to attend.
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The Masterclass Series was developed to take participants through various facets of a specific topic. These classes are facilitated by different creative industry specialists with extensive experience and success in their specific fields. Each masterclass topic is unique and is implemented in a way that engages and inspires the audience.
Upcoming Masterclasses
The City is planning to host more classes during the course of the year. The next round of masterclasses will focus on Music and Entertainment, Visual Art and Film. Some of these sessions will include DJ Eazy and Riaz Solker.
