Transform SA Digital Issue 29 - Magazine - Page 40
ENTREPRENEURS
TRANSFORMING MINDS
WITH FASHION
The fashion industry is
still ignoring plus size
women, and change is
desperately needed.
What were some of the challenges that you
had to deal with?
Because it has never been done, they asked why
do I think it’s gonna work? Secondly, I was also
criticised by people for encouraging women to
gain weight, instead of seeing the bigger picture,
which is to restore the confidence of those women.
Thirdly, no one was willing to sponsor the event
because they believed it was not going to last.
“In five years’ time I would
be really happy if my show
can be as big as your Soweto
Fashion Week.”
What are your future goals?
In five years time, I would be really happy if my
Show can be as big as your Soweto Fashion Week.
The goal, for now, is to get the show to be noticed
like your SA Fashion Week.
Nicholas Mashiane realised this and decided to
launch a fashion week that showcases clothing for
plus-size models. He went on to invite thick models
to strut their stuff on the ramp, something that was
frowned upon by some in the fashion industry.
Please explain your business model.
We actually discover local designers that are
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www.transformsa.co.za
not well-known and give them a platform to
showcase their designs. And we restore the
confidence of women, especially those who
don’t believe in themselves or who don’t have
fashion sense, we take them through different
platforms and teach them how to wear, how to
match clothes, and how to be confident when
they are on the runway.
How did Covid-19 affect your business?
We were supposed to have an event in April
this year. We did the auditions with models in
February and then we selected the models. We
started coaching from February until the second
week of March. When the lockdown regulations
were implemented in March we were forced to
cancel the event. By then we had already spent
money on marketing collateral such as banners,
flyers, and so on.
