For the inaugural Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards we wanted our judges to have different skills and knowledge to bring to the judging process. We’re delighted to say that we’ve achieved this. We have representation from education, fashion activism, styling, editorial, retail, conservation… Nominations close on 18 August and judging will take place on 3 September. Read this story for more information about the awards. Winners will be announced at a ceremony in Cape Town on 19 September.
Kelly Fung
Kelly is currently the content director of Superbalist, an online retailer. She is the former editor of ELLE magazine and the former fashion director of MARIE CLAIRE South Africa. She has a deep understanding of the fashion industry, both local and international. Over and above her excellent editorial work, Kelly is one of the country’s leading fashion stylists.
Fezile Mdletshe-Mkhize
A PhD candidate and lecturer at Durban University of Technology, Fezile focusses on building capacity to grow a local, ethical and sustainable clothing industry. Through her fashion academy, Fezile Fashion Schools Academy, she teaches fashion masterclasses in design, sewing and pattern-making.
Desiree Smal
With more than 25 years of experience in design education, Desiree is currently a senior lecturer in the department of fashion design at the University of Johannesburg. For her PhD, she researched sustainable fashion practices in South Africa and developed a tool for teaching sustainable fashion. She has participated in international conferences on sustainable fashion and her recent academic paper, “Sustainable fashion in South Africa: A case for design-led environmentally sustainable fashion design praxis” was published in the book, “Global Perspectives on Sustainable Fashion”.
Cyril Naicker
Both in his personal and professional capacity, Cyril supports the growth and development of South Africa’s clothing and textile industry. He is the CEO of Imprint Luxury, the country co-ordinator of Fashion Revolution South Africa and a qualified fashion designer. Off-duty, he is a foodie and wears Proudly South African fashion.
Aaniyah Omardien
After spending ten years working at WWF South Africa, Aaniyah founded The Beach Co-op, an NGO focussed on changing consumer behavior through cleanup activations. She works closely with researchers and academics to ensure that the message and work of The Beach Co-op is relevant. Last year Aaniyah attended the Library Study Hall conference at the UN Headquarters in New York. Co-ordinated by the international, sustainable fashion activist Celine Semaan, the conference title was “Sustainable Design: Fiction or Reality”.
- The awards are sponsored by PETCO, the recycling company specialising in the recycling of PET bottles and products
- Picture credit: Main picture of ALC by Simon Deiner / SDR Photos. Picture of Desiree Smal by Lauren Mulligan. Others supplied
