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Deputy Minister Magwanishe and Mec Zikalala to launch a R81 million Black Industrialist Textile Firm in KwaZulu-Natal

The company is the first one amongst the Black Industrialists beneficiaries to create about 450 employment opportunities within four months of its operation

January 17, 2019 — The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Bulelani Magwanishe and the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mr Sihle Zikalala will launch a multi-million-rand Black Industrialist textile firm, Africa Bespoke Apparel (ABA) on Tuesday, 22 January 2019 in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal.

ABA is a 100% Black-owned company operating in the textile, clothing and footwear sector. The company is the first one amongst the Black Industrialists beneficiaries to create about 450 employment opportunities within four months of its operation.

ABA was approved for grant funding of R35.5 million from the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti’s) Black Industrial Scheme (BIS) and the project is co-funded by KwaZulu-Natal government’s Growth Fund.

The BIS is an incentive of the Black Industrialists Programme that aims to unlock the potential within black industrialists operating in South African economy through deliberate, targeted and well-defined financial and non-financial interventions.

“The BIS supported Africa Bespoke Apparel to acquire the new equipment which aimed at simplifying and improving the production process, with increased flexibility and safety, which is combined with the realisation of guaranteed high quality to meet the demands of the modern textiles and clothing sector,” says Deputy Minister Magwanishe.

Magwanishe adds that the modern technology installed through the BIS will enable the company to triple its production. He says this manufacturing capability has made ABA to be competitive in relation to modern standards of manufacturing in clothing and textiles is sector.

“Through the BIS support the company aims to aims to penetrate a wide range of sub-Saharan African markets future,” adds Magwanishe

MEC Zikalala says the KwaZulu-Natal government is proud of ABA’s achievements, adding that it augurs well for the provincial government’s programme to revive the textile industry which has not been performing well in the past 20 years.

“Our Black Industrialists Programme is producing handsome dividends. We have funded Africa Bespoke Apparel as the provincial government because we strongly believe that the textile sector can be used as one of the avenues of achieving our radical economic transformation agenda,” he says.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Department of Trade and Industry, South Africa

Overalls, the on-trend piece for Spring – Summer 2019

Designers have taken the overalls garage attendants wore back in the day and given them a new look, approved by a generation of powerful, sure of themselves women.

The Boiler Suit leaves the podiums to take to the street

It all started on 3 October when Kaïa Gerber, famous “daughter of” and overbooked model, walked down Stella McCartney’s 2019 catwalk in an “I want” tie-dye boiler suit. Since then boiler suits can be seen everywhere on the fashion scene, both on the catwalks and in the street. Gigi Hadid has been seen in shiny pink, one of the Fashion Week lucky few wore an immaculate and minimalist version while another noticeable influencer sports the full denim look: work overalls are now available in all shades, fabrics and styles. Workwear inspires the new generation jumpsuit and the garage attendant’s garb in particular.

It looks back to its worker roots worn wide and belted with lots of practical pockets. It’s usually zipped, with the sleeves rolled up and collar turned up. Fans play up the masculine-feminine aspect by wearing the neck slightly open and adding sophisticated accessories such as blingy jewellery or an understated clutch bag, or wearing a pair of stiletto heels with it.

The Boiler Suit, uniform of a new femininity

The boiler suit is decisively practical at a time when streetwear is getting a durable grip on women’s prêt-à-porter. Super-clichéd codes are out, the 2019 woman wants pieces she can wear anywhere to wrangle her days. Although the boiler suit is urban, trail-blazing or even brazen, it doesn’t stop some fashionistas from choosing it in girly colours, like the famous “Millennial Pink”, and making the uniform that’s been around for almost a century the new prerogative for modern young women. Promostyl

Rwanda to open silk factory in Kigali in Feb

Rwanda will open a new silk factory in February at the Kigali Special Economic Zone that will purchase cocoons from domestic farmers and make products for export. The new Rwanda Silk Processing Factory is a partnership between HEworks Rwanda Silk Ltd, a subsidiary of Korean firm HEworks, and the National Agriculture Exports Development Board (NAEB).

The factory will first produce silk sheets, used in making bed covers and suit jackets, and raw silk yarn used in apparel manufacturing, according to a Rwandan newspaper report.

The final test runs are under way and the first silk will be churned out before the end of February, said HEworks Rwanda Silk Ltd managing director Seok-Weon Yoon.

The factory, on which Rwf776 million has been invested already, this year will export 20 tonnes of silk—five tonnes raw and 15 tonnes sheet—which will generate $800,000, he said.

The target is to export silk worth over $100 million by 2025, Yoon said.

The factory’s target markets now are Asian nations like Korea and Japan, but it does eye potential markets in Europe like Italy, which is known for production of high quality silk cloths F2F

Did you know……..

Those who like collecting ties are known as grabatologists.

During the Renaissance period, it was fashionable to shave off the eyebrows.

Valentino Red was given this name after he became well-known for the bright red dresses he designed.