Student winners debut designs in selected Foschini stores
Foschini, in collaboration with African Fashion International (AFI), launched the Foschini AFI Fastrack competition this year and its three student winners will see their designs launch as limited editions in the second week of November 2011 in the Canal Walk, Eastgate and Gateway retail outlets following their debut at Cape Town Fashion Week.
(L - R): Chelsey Wilson, Thoki Tafeni and Mia Kriek.
Chelsey Wilson (20) and Thoki Tafeni (20) from Cape Town, together with Mia Kriek (26) from Johannesburg blew the judges away with their respective Frida Kahlo, post-apocalyptic world and ethereal fairy-tale designs.
Since July, they have been taken through a six-week internship at the Foschini Design Centre in the supply chain process and found themselves elbow-deep in the world of retail. With the assistance of their mentors, the three young designers not only gained invaluable exposure to design, pattern making and manufacturing processes, but also were equipped with the important commercial and business skills required to be successful in the retail environment.
"It is so different to what we see on a smaller scale at college," says Wilson.
"It has been invaluable. The amount and diversity of new things I have learnt is absolutely astounding," adds Kriek.
