Newsletter No.18    19 May 2017

Click on any ad to go to the advertisers website…

Come and Meet over 150 manufacturers, suppliers and service providers next week at the Source Africa Trade Show in Cape Town.

16 Countries will be represented including South Africa, Lesotho, Mauritius, Madagascar, Uganda, Rwanda, Swaziland, Kenya, Turkey, USA, Switzerland, Poland, India, Germany, UAE and Hong Kong and there will daily fashion shows, complimentary wine tastings by The Fishwifes Club Boutique Winery, exhibitor promotions, important industry presentationsand WGSN trend talks. See the programme below –

WEDNESDAY, 24 MAY – Venue: Halls 1 & 2, CTICC, Cape Town
Source Africa Trade Show – Time: 10:00am – 17:00pm – More than 150 exhibitors from 17 countries.

Presentation: Responsible Sourcing Auditing: Essentials for Suppliers to Save Time and Money – Time: 11:00am – 11:30am
Presented by Christian Gerling, General Manager EMEA LA, UL Consumer & Retail Services
Mauritius Fashion Show – Time: 12:00pm – 12:30pm
TCI Apparel Fashion Show – Time: 13:30pm – 14:00pm

Technology Presentation: State of the Art of Dyeing and Finishing – Time: 14:15pm – 14:45pm
Intro by Mark Goliath, Deal Maker, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)
Presented by Jürgen Brockmann, Director, THIES GmbH & Co. KG, Germany

Technology Presentation: Weaving Technologies, Innovation, Energy Saving, Weaving Machinery and World Markets/Tendencies
Time: 15:00pm – 15:30pm
Intro by Mark Goliath, Deal Maker, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)
Presented by Bruno Caffieri, Sales Manager, Picanol, Belgium

Thabo Makhetha Fashion Show – Time: 15:30pm – 16:00pm

Thabo Makheta is a luxury women’s wear label best known for their pret-a-porter range of winter capes inspired and made from traditional Basotho blankets, known as Kobo Ea Bohali or Kobo by Thabo Makhetha. The brand has been honoured with the 2014 Impact Award for Design by Arts and Culture Trust of South Africa and their Classic Starburst piece, was nominated for the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa 2016 (MBOISA).

THURSDAY, 25 MAY – Halls 1 & 2, CTICC, Cape Town

Source Africa Trade Show – Time: 10:00am – 17:00pm – More than 150 exhibitors from 17 countries

WGSN Trendtalks
Time: 08:30am – 09:25am: Spring/Summer 18 Buyers’ Briefing – Womenswear
Time: 09:30am – 10:25am: Spring/Summer 18 Buyers’ Briefing – Menswear
Presented by Sara Maggioni, Director of Retail & Buying, WGSN, United Kingdom
The Buyers’ Briefings provides a comprehensive guide to support buying and range planning, rounding up the key messages, items, colours, fabrics and print directions for the S/S 18 season.

Chu Suwannapha Fashion Show – Time: 10:30am – 11:00am
CHULAAP is all about celebrating Africa in his Unique Thai way. Inspired by Africa Arts & Cultures and our local street styles.
It’s the married of East meet South.

Mauritius Fashion Show – Time: 12:00pm – 12:30pm
TCI Apparel Fashion Show – Time: 13:30pm – 14:00pm
African Pavilions Fashion Show – Time: 15:30pm – 16:00pm

To register, go to www.sourceafrica.co.za. Entry to all the events is free but pre-registration necessary.
Organisers: lte – leaders in trade exhibitions, Tel: +27 21 790 5849, Email: deidre@sourceafrica.co.za
Some stands to look forward to meeting at Source Africa this year!

Click on their ads to see whats on offer

TVET SA (Pty) Ltd ready to respond to Clothing Industry Summit Accord

Representatives of TVET SA (Pty) Ltd were among the stakeholders who attended the First Clothing Manufacturing Industry Summit held recently in Durban. The summit, which was organised by the Productivity and Training Institute, brought to the fore once again the dire need for skills development for the local clothing sector. During the summit, it became apparent that cooperation between all stakeholders including the Government, FP&M SETA, National Bargaining Council, employer and labour organisations and accredited training providers such as TVET SA (Pty) Ltd, would be required to implement focused training interventions to address the scarce and critical skills gaps in the industry.

Although significant strides have been made in the last few years to upgrade machinery and equipment in line with global manufacturing standards, the training of multi-skilled production operators, qualified mechanics, and dynamic support and management staff at all levels has lagged behind, resulting in serious skills shortage at all levels.

An important outcome of the summit was the signing of the Summit Accord by Employer and Labour parties, detailing training interventions to be implemented over the next five years.

These interventions include registered learnerships for employed and unemployed learners in order to expand the current skills available in the industry and to build a skills base from which to recruit new entrants. Other interventions include short courses and skills programmes as well as higher level graduate and post-graduate education in the technical and design fields.

With progressive targets set over the next five years of 6,000 learnerships and 5,000 short courses to be implemented per annum, the clothing manufacturing industry would have to partner with credible, accredited training providers specialising in the provision of industry-aligned, and nationally recognised programmes.

TVET SA (Pty) Ltd has provided quality training and education in the clothing industry for more than 12 years and is ideally positioned to provide a range of nationally recognised learnership programmes, credit-bearing skills programmes and industry-aligned short courses.

During 2016/17 TVET SA (Pty) Ltd has successfully implemented a range of training projects in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. These training interventions resulted in the multi-skilling of existing employees, the training of new unemployed learners of which a significant number were offered employment on completion of their learnerships, and an increase in quality of output and productivity at factory level.

Programme offerings at TVET SA (Pty) Ltd include nationally recognised programmes such as the NQF Level 1 General Education & Training Certificate in Garment Making, the NQF level 2 Clothing Manufacturing Learnership (with electives in Sewing, Cutting, Pattern Making and Finishing), NQF Level 3 Sewing Machine Mechanics Learnership, a Multi-Skilling Programme for Sewing Machine Operators, Mechanics Skills Programme, Pattern Making Skills Programme, Management Development Programme and Supervisory Skills Programme. Short courses include Basic Supervision for Team Leaders, Basic Mechanics for Supervisors, Quality Assurance and Control and 5 S for Middle Managers.

As a dedicated stakeholder and committed partner to the Clothing Industry, TVET SA (Pty) Ltd is ready to support the industry through the provision of accredited training and education, and skills development interventions.

Submitted by: Elmine Baumann, National Marketing and Communications Coordinator, TVET SA (Pty) Ltd, Tel: 083 640 5812, E-mail: elmine@tvetsa.org.za

Five ways people are celebrating ShweShwe in South Africa and around the world

ShweShwe fabric, or ‘seshoeshoe’ as it is also known, has been an iconic part of South African culture and fashion for almost 80 years. Our beloved ShweShwe patterns have even made their way overseas, thanks to South African fashion designers like Khosi Nkosi and his creative use of the print in his Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2016 collection and many others.

While the textile has its roots in Xhosa culture, people of all walks of life are using ShweShwe in a variety of new and exciting ways. Here are five contemporary ways that South Africans – and people all over the world – are celebrating ShweShwe in 2017.

1. Bridal bliss

ShweShwe has made a huge impact on the international fashion scene and bridal industry alike, with brides-to-be taking their cues from the runway when choosing the perfect dress for their special day. From traditional African weddings to western-style affairs, ShweShwe is becoming a more widely featuring element in wedding dress design and even décor, adding a touch of South African eccentricity to the nuptial process.

2. ShweShwe street style

Fashion is always evolving to speak to a wider audience, and the latest trends have seen ShweShwe take its rightful place on the streets of Mzansi too. Shoe fanatics looking to add some local flavour to their collections will love the latest ShweShwe shoe designs, that include everything from ShweShwe-inspired pumps to chic lace-up sneakers in all the original ShweShwe colours and patterns.

3. Kids’ fashion

Pink and blue are no longer the only options for clothing when it comes to dressing your little girl or boy, and parents are increasingly opting for items that are unique and fashionable, allowing their children to express themselves through their clothing. JenniDezigns is a South African clothing brand that gives kids the freedom to play and express themselves in unique and comfortable clothing items made from 100% cotton ShweShwe. The current collection includes beautiful ShweShwe dresses for little girls, handmade by local seamstresses, which can be paired with wool leggings and a cardigan for winter.

Source: JenniDezigns

4. Handbags for Africa (and beyond)

ShweShwe is not just beautiful to look at – it’s also durable enough to hold all your precious belongings in one stylish package. While ShweShwe handbags are certainly not a new trend in fashion, many designers are putting their own unique and modern twists on previous styles to produce beautiful, quirky bags that every fashion-forward woman would be happy to add to her collection. Fashionistas can also get their hands on the latest ShweShwe accessories to add a pop of colour and texture to any outfit.

5. Décor and furniture

Along with its uses in the wedding and fashion industries, ShweShwe has also made its mark on the interior décor world in the form of quirky home accessories, scatter cushions, furniture designs and even wallpapers. The use of the beautifully busy and vibrantly colourful patterns adds a unique pop of texture to the modern living space, creating the perfect focal point in any room.

Source: www.flavorpaper.com – New York-based designer, Ghislaine Viñas, gives ShweShwe a contemporary revival with this wallpaper design.

ShweShwe continues to play a major role in South Africa’s rich heritage, with many designers around the world cottoning on to the textile’s versatility.

For more information on the beautiful African-inspired kids’ collection of clothing from proudly South African brand, JenniDezigns, visit www.jennidezigns.clothing. You can also visit the JenniDezigns team at the Source Africa Textile, Apparel and Footwear Trade Event, taking place on 24 and 25 May 2017 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

ENDS

About JenniDezigns

JenniDezigns was established in 2015 by mother-daughter duo, Jenny (the designer) & Sam (her daughter), who both share a passion for allowing children to be children, and with this the freedom to dress like children.

This passion intertwined with the rich South African ShweShwe prints and classic girls’ clothing styles is what makes a signature JenniDezigns garment. Each item is handmade, with a focus on quality and ethical production values and supply chain management.

The current range is aimed at girls aged two-seven years, where every day is an occasion to get dressed for. The SS16/17 range includes practical every day and party wear and are all made to the highest quality to ensure comfort and durability for active children.

Did you know….

The most expensive bra ever made is the Heavenly Star Bra which was created by Victoria’s Secret in 2001. It’s valued at $12.5 million and has 1,200 Sri Lankan pink sapphires and as its centerpiece a 90-carat emerald-cut diamond worth $10.6 million.

The world’s largest bra has a size 1222B cup. It was created to raise money for breast cancer awareness.