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Rajah, having shown his collections at Paris Fashion Week twice to date, will be mentoring the aspiring South African design talent, selected to show at the prestigious fashion events.
"I am looking forward to providing guidance to the young designers, whilst focusing on developing their technical design skills necessary to allow them to compete on an international stage." says Rajah. SA Tourism will also be partnering with Rajah for his third show at Paris Fashion Week on the 4th of July.
Linda Sangaret, Country Manager of South African Tourism, Paris, says, "our organisation is dedicated to showcasing SA culture and talent all over the world. Gavin is an example of some of the finest talent we have and he has made a strong and lasting impression on the French fashion industry."
The selected and highly talented designers are; Thabani Mavundla, Thula Sindi, Fundudzi (with Creative Director – Craig Jacobs)and David Tlale. The selected designers successfully showed at the Audi Joburg fashion week alongside some of the more established designers.
Dr Precious Moloi Motsepe, has accepted the role of Patron for these designers and will be supporting them. This is part of her vision of contributing toward the development and growth of South African designers, particularly talent from the townships and rural areas.
These four designers have been chosen for their originality, their preference to using elements indigenous to South Africa, and their commitment to empowerment and equality issues in South Africa.
Thabani Mavundla's designs have been showcased in Moscow and Madagascar and his work is a subtle interpretation of the African design aesthetic that appeals to women with an eye for global chic. "I was shocked and excited when I heard that I have been chosen to go to Paris, and still can't quite believe it. I am inspired by the endless creative possibilities in fusing Parisian chic with the richness of our African style, and I feel that our unique African culture is still largely unexplored." said an exhilarated Thabani after the announcement.
Thula Sindi has come a long way since matriculating from the national school of the arts in Johannesburg and is now creating elegant women's wear from his studio in Rosebank. He has dressed the likes of Caprice, Noni Gasa, Bridget Masinga and Chichi Letswalo.
What separates Fundudzi from other labels is Craig Jacob's aim to empower other younger designers by giving them a platform to explore their creativity. The label is socially and environmentally responsible, and has introduced FUNDUDZI: FREE, a collection created from organic fabrics including bamboo, soy and corn which are produced by a local textile mill.
The color, warmth and textures of David Tlale's raw materials are seen and felt on international catwalks as African inspiration infuses the major fashion houses. The label embodies beauty without pretence and shuns harshness for poise, answering the call of today's men and women for design that is young, bold, and elegant. Tlale's commitment to his environment is mirrored in his vision for business and community empowerment.
Having achieved local and international success, Rajah feels the time is right to give something back to the community. Gavin Rajah is in partnership with UNICEF and together they work on protection and advancement projects relevant to the children of South Africa.
A percentage of all the Gavin Rajah clothing and accessory sales are donated to UNICEF. His latest project reflects Rajah's commitment to supporting and promoting young talent in South Africa and will aid in preparing them for the international stage.
For more information, check out www.gavinrajah.com and http://www.joburgfasionweek.com
Local fashionista, Dion Chang is shocked that Gavin Rajah chose four unknown designers to show with him in Paris, when there is so much more established talent in SA. Read his comments on this event here.
