Fashion-savvy student a ‘Styled by Me’ winner

When he is not wearing overalls and working on the economics of agricultural produce, Benathi Makiyela is one of the most stylish students at the University of Fort Hare.    

His eye for men’s clothing has caught the attention of a well-known clothing brand which has roped him to become one of their fashion influencers.

KwaBhaca-born Makiyela won one of the episodes of the Styled by Me by John Craig (JC) competition for upcoming fashion influencers, which was shot in Johannesburg.

 Each episode features two contestants going head-to-head to style each other based on a brief provided by the judge on the day at a JC store.

The brief is based on a specific “life” event that each contestant needs to dress their opponent for.

The look needs to be appropriate for both the occasion and body type.

Makiyela, 26, who will graduate with a BSc in agriculture (agricultural economics) this year, is known as a fashion enthusiast at his university.

Last month, he challenged another fashion influencer from Pretoria and won.

John Craig is an international men’s clothing retailer that offers top brands and stylish fashion — from casual to smart, as well as footwear.

Makiyela’s styling pictures will be used in clothing advertising.

“Dressing up is not just about covering my skin, it’s one of the things that make me comfortable in my skin and give me confidence.

“I started working around the idea of fashion and style content on Instagram in 2020 with a concept of ‘painting the streets with colours’; the vibrant colours I choose.

“I only purchase T-shirts and shoes normally.

“I captured John Craig’s attention through posting pictures and mentioning them in captions.

“They were impressed with my style and got in touch for me to take part in their competition.”

He said winning the competition was humbling and had validated his dreams.

Self-doubt could be crippling, and  so it was important to be confident and grounded, he said.

“My aim is to inspire others.”

He was told that his style suited that of the clothing company, potentially enabling him to make a name for himself in the fashion industry.

He won a voucher worth R5,000, and has rights to his featured photos and videos with John Craig which promotes their clothing line on social media.

“In September 2020, a group of students and I formed Fort Hare Dandies, a group of young men with a sense of fashion and style.”

The aim was to positively influence up-and-coming individuals to embrace self-respect and eradicate some of the social ills often associated with males, he said.

“We are changing society’s perception of men through participating in outreach programmes and being able to carry ourselves with grace.”

Makiyela is also a student entrepreneur with a recycling business.

“As a young man in business, dressing well is important as it enables you to grab people’s attention without uttering a word.”

His passion and dedication landed him second place in the National Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education Intervarsity 2022 Competition’s Social Impact category for business innovation.

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