Aspiring fashion entrepreneurs are in for a boost from a business seminar with knitwear icon Laduma Ngxokolo in East London today.
Ngxokolo, 30, who runs the brand MaXhosa by Laduma, decided to share what he deems his “generational wealth”, skills he learned from his late mother at the age of 16, when whisky company, Chivas Regal South Africa, approached him to be a brand ambassador.
“As opposed to being on billboards, and pushing the brand in what could be a very costly manner, I decided to do it by giving back to aspiring designers,” he said.
“On a daily basis my inbox on social media is flooded with people who want me to mentor them, or teach them what I know; others want advice, so it came naturally to use the platform to respond to the call of those people. I’m a designer, my business is making and selling clothes, and I also was not so clued up about business and marketing and all the other facets of the industry, which is why it made sense for me to do this national roadshow.”
The roadshow, which is on its final leg, will be held at Oh! Brigado champagne bar at Beacon Bay Crossing from 8am to 6pm.
The series of workshops was officially launched in Port Elizabeth, Ngxokolo’s hometown, in February, and workshops have been held in three other cities.
Ngxokolo, who obtained his masters in design in London before running his store at New Town Junction Mall in Johannesburg, attributes his success to humble beginnings. “My mother was a knitwear designer in the late 80s and she couldn’t grow, and even for me during the time I was in PE, I had a small market, because people didn’t have money for premium knitwear.”
The free, full-day event aims to elaborate on the business behind fashion designing with special focus on production, communication, conceptualisation and exploration in the industry. East Londoners will get the chance to learn from Ngxokolo and about his journey to becoming a fashion icon around the world. Chivas Regal marketing manager Shelley Reeves said the company was pleased to have the opportunity to work with Ngxokolo on the exciting venture.
“Chivas Regal worked with Laduma Ngxokolo in 2016 when they asked him to create their limited edition 18-year-old packaging. Chivas was impressed by his dedication to his Xhosa heritage, striking X-themed designs and his dedication to winning the right way by sourcing materials from local suppliers....”— mbalit@dispatch.co.za
Knitwear icon holds seminar
Ngxokolo, 30, who runs the brand MaXhosa by Laduma, decided to share what he deems his “generational wealth”, skills he learned from his late mother at the age of 16, when whisky company, Chivas Regal South Africa, approached him to be a brand ambassador.
“As opposed to being on billboards, and pushing the brand in what could be a very costly manner, I decided to do it by giving back to aspiring designers,” he said.
“On a daily basis my inbox on social media is flooded with people who want me to mentor them, or teach them what I know; others want advice, so it came naturally to use the platform to respond to the call of those people. I’m a designer, my business is making and selling clothes, and I also was not so clued up about business and marketing and all the other facets of the industry, which is why it made sense for me to do this national roadshow.”
The roadshow, which is on its final leg, will be held at Oh! Brigado champagne bar at Beacon Bay Crossing from 8am to 6pm.
The series of workshops was officially launched in Port Elizabeth, Ngxokolo’s hometown, in February, and workshops have been held in three other cities.
Ngxokolo, who obtained his masters in design in London before running his store at New Town Junction Mall in Johannesburg, attributes his success to humble beginnings. “My mother was a knitwear designer in the late 80s and she couldn’t grow, and even for me during the time I was in PE, I had a small market, because people didn’t have money for premium knitwear.”
The free, full-day event aims to elaborate on the business behind fashion designing with special focus on production, communication, conceptualisation and exploration in the industry. East Londoners will get the chance to learn from Ngxokolo and about his journey to becoming a fashion icon around the world. Chivas Regal marketing manager Shelley Reeves said the company was pleased to have the opportunity to work with Ngxokolo on the exciting venture.
“Chivas Regal worked with Laduma Ngxokolo in 2016 when they asked him to create their limited edition 18-year-old packaging. Chivas was impressed by his dedication to his Xhosa heritage, striking X-themed designs and his dedication to winning the right way by sourcing materials from local suppliers....”— mbalit@dispatch.co.za
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