FOUR fashion designers who have cut and collaborated on an interesting path in local fashion will show off some of their limited-edition creations at a “Spring Fair” fashion show today at The Glenwood Village.
Each maintain their own individual brands, but also collaborate effectively for the sake of their stakeholding in The Fifth 031, a fashion boutique they operate at the mall.
Designers Silomo Ntombela, Zama Gumede, Kwenzi Nkomo and Sibu Msimang have partnered successfully for more than four years.
For much of that time, Langa Yengwa, a sales and marketing expert from Bongabanzi Consulting, has helped to give the ladies’ works A cutting edge.
Yengwa accepted that a man managing four strong-willed creatives in the fashion domain had to be cut from extraordinary cloth.
He joked: “It’s like I’m in a polygamist relationship with them. Our job is to advise what will work and what won’t. We have proactive engagements and strike a balance so the store is always relevant.”
Yenga started his marketing, branding and business development company three years ago. With his strong sales background and understanding of “business ecosystems”, he was confident he could empower smaller enterprises and SMMEs with effective marketing practices.
He started by educating small business owners about the rewards that came from good marketing.
His goal for The Fifth 031 was to deliver ideas and marketing strategies to embellish the brand.
Yenga said the designers were exhibitors at the Durban Fashion Fair when they first connected and decided to team-up, share costs and operate under one roof
“They specialise in high-end limited edition African-inspired outfits targeting full-figured women and usually costing between R2 000 and R4 000.
“When they examined the markets they found that stores weren’t servicing the clientele they were targeting and decided to plug the gap.”
He said tenants at Glenwood Village would model the high fashion today because it would “have greater resonance with the audience”.
Sibu Msimang, one of the store’s partners, has been in the fashion industry for nearly 20 years and has dressed prominent local women like Dr Precious Motsepe-Moloi and Penny Lebyane.
She is a qualified chef, who studied and later trained at the Royal Hotel for three years.
Msimang began working at a lodge where her shift started at 10am.
“I used to visit the library before work because reading is my favourite hobby.
“At that time, I read a book about people living in their comfort zone and being afraid to reach for their dreams. It inspired me to study fashion designing at the Durban University of Technology for three years. The rest is history.”
In her final year, Msimang was encouraged by her lecturer, Colleen Eitzen ‒ co-owner of online fashion platform The Space and the Durban Designer Emporium (DDE) ‒ to enter a fashion design contest hosted by the DDE.
Msimang was one of the winners, with part of her prize being free space at the DDE for six months and a grant to get her range going.
“That’s how I got into the industry. After that, I was able to supply The Space and continued to progress.
“Most of my customers fit into the +size outfits. It has to be feminine, must have a bit of an edge, and the quality and workmanship has to be tops.”
“My clothes are functional and adaptable to different pieces, shoes and accessories.”
She said The Fifth 031 collaboration was about respect and putting egos aside.
“It’s about the brand. Once you are under the umbrella of the Fifth, you must respect that and do what is best for the business. We can fight and argue but it must be for the good of our store. I can see this collaboration going places.”
On Yengwa’s role, she said: “Yes, it is like a polygamous relationship, we trouble him all the time.
“He is a strong guy to put up with four women. There are many constructive debates, but we respect and love each other like family.”