#CareerAdvice: So you want to work in fashion? Tips for aspiring fashion designers

Heart & Heritage Spring/Summer16, SAFW

Are you dreaming of showing off your clothing at a major Fashion Week? If yes, read these fashion designer tips, you are going to be well on your way to making your fashion dreams come true.

Work hard

‘Be prepared to work very hard, learn from criticism but don’t let it defeat you, make friends with your customers and network within the industry to learn about available opportunities and then be brave and go for them with 100% effort.’ - Lesley Whitter, Heart & Heritage

Learn the Business of Fashion

‘Business skills are as essential as a great design. Being a fashion designer is the rawest form of entrepreneurship. Not only are you creating a garment from a sketch you also need to then sell it. Do a business course, read business books and do not be afraid of failing. As long as you learning from your mistakes you are growing. If you really want to be a fashion designer embrace the lessons and you will only get better. Remember no one said it’s going to be easy!’ – GreerKyle

Start Selling

‘Get out there and start selling on any platform possible! Try, fail, adapt and try again. There is no quick fix in fashion it's a long haul. It's definitely not glamorous but if you can make it through the dirt road and pay your dues, I speak from experience - it can work and it's so worth it!’ – Melissa Somerset, Somerset Jane

Network

‘Get to know people in the industry and make connections, become familiar. You never know when you might need a favour, or you could get involved in a cool collaboration!’ - James Barrett-Poulsen, LUMIN

A Closer Look at Heart & Heritage’s Winning Collection

 SA Fashion Week has gone by, however we are still buzzing over Heart & Heritage’s collection which Lesley Whitter presented at the Lufthansa 1^st Best Collections Showcase on 5 April 2016. The Heart & Heritage Spring/Summer 2016 (SS16) collection was inspired by Lufthansa, and the theme was built around ‘Fernweh’, a German word, ‘which means to crave and dream about travel’. The garments in the collection are lovely and elegant and will surely make any girl look dashing as she explores the world in the striking pieces.

The colour palette for the collection was very soft, feminine and dreamy. Heart & Heritage made use of hammered satin, bon bon, soft natural cottons, soft tule/netting and hand textured the fabrics with a ‘Jackson Pollock’ like pain technique.

Heart & Heritage’s SS16 collection was very strong and the judges chose Lesley as the Lufthansa 1^st Best Collections winner.  

Heart & Heritage wins Lufthansa 1st Best Collections Award at SA Fashion Week

On Tuesday, 5 April 2016, Johannesburg-based Heart & Heritage was crowned the Lufthansa 1^st Best Collections winner for young designers at this year’s SA Fashion Week. The handcrafted designs by Lesley Whitter focus on wearability, unique details, comfort, and flattering fits.

As one of the most keenly anticipated events at the SA Fashion Week, the 1^st Best Collections Award is now in its fourth year of sponsorship by Lufthansa. The initiative provides the country’s young emerging designers with the opportunity to showcase their collections and introduce the world to their talents. They are considered to represent the future of the local fashion industry and are selected by the SA Fashion Week board to provide greater exposure to their brands. 

“Lufthansa would like to congratulate all the finalists who took part in the Lufthansa 1st Best Collections. To have been selected is a feat in itself. I was a part of the judging panel and let me tell you it was tough,” says Dr. Andre Schulz, General Manager, Southern Africa, at Lufthansa. “The Heart & Heritage brand stood out from the outset. There was something about Lesley – not only did she present a confident business case and good aesthetic appeal but, she also displayed the characteristics of excellence and dedication, in line with what the Lufthansa brand stands for.”

Lucilla Booyzen, Director of SA Fashion Week, added her congratulations for Heart & Home. “Once a designer has come through to this level of the Lufthansa 1st Best competition we at SAFW believe that they are ready to play an active role in the creative fashion design industry and in the retail arena, building wealth and creating jobs in South Africa.

“Lufthansa is playing a vital role in identifying and awarding the next generation of designers that will lead the SA Fashion Industry. To us, it is very important that the industry should be led by designers.”

Whitter’s designs are remarkable for creating beauty from the traditional process of crafting a garment from a concept. Each garment is drafted on paper, thoughtfully sampled and finally brought to life by local hands. Whitter currently has a store in the Bamboo Centre in Melville, called Convoy, and also supplies The Space Rosebank and The Space Mall of Africa. 

“Winning is an absolute dream come true,” says Whitter. “I am so happy and excited. To be associated with Lufthansa is amazing, as it is such an incredible brand, and I am thankful for them enabling me to have this opportunity with my brand, and to go to Berlin. I know that it is going to help me meet new customers, gain exposure, and grow my business.” 

“We have selected a winner who we feel is a perfect fit; someone who is not only an inspiring person but also a great designer – a 1^st choice (for the winner of the 1^st Best Collections),” concludes Jola Slomkowski Marketing Manager, Lufthansa, South Africa.