Just over a year after graduating from fashion school, emerging South African designer Mazhar has reached a significant milestone: his first commercial collection is now available on Pick n Pay Clothing shelves nationwide.
Emerging South African designer Mazhar has reached a significant milestone. Image supplied
His journey from fashion graduate to retail designer is the latest example of how Pick n Pay Clothing’s Futurewear programme is helping bridge the gap between emerging creative talent and the commercial realities of the fashion industry.
For Mazhar, the opportunity has provided more than exposure. It has offered a practical education in what it takes to transform a creative concept into a collection that can be produced, priced and sold at scale.
Growing up in Durban in a South Asian family before moving to Cape Town to study fashion, Mazhar developed an early appreciation for history, craftsmanship and storytelling – influences that continue to inform his approach to design.
“Growing up surrounded by different cultures and traditions gave me a deep appreciation for craftsmanship and storytelling,” he says.
“Fashion became the perfect way for me to give expression to this, and combine art, culture, history and identity into something people can wear.”
Turning heritage into commercial fashion
His debut collection, Homegrown Heirlooms, translates those personal influences into a contemporary retail proposition.
Inspired by the tiled floors of family homes, heirloom embroidery, Cape Town’s botanical landscapes and South Africa’s diverse cultural heritage, the collection combines colour, texture and pattern with wearable silhouettes designed for everyday consumers.
Mazhar developed an early appreciation for history, craftsmanship and storytelling – influences that continue to inform his approach to design. Image supplied
The collection is also the product of months spent working alongside Pick n Pay Clothing’s design, buying and production teams through Futurewear.
That experience exposed Mazhar to the less visible side of fashion – from understanding customers and fabrics to considering fit, production and commercial viability.
“The Futurewear programme honestly changed my life,” he says. “Seeing how a collection comes to life from the first sketch through to the collection arriving in stores showed me the reality behind fashion retail and confirmed that this is exactly the industry I was always meant to be in.”
The biggest lesson, he says, has been understanding that successful fashion requires a balance between creative expression and commercial practicality.
“I've learnt that good design is about finding the balance between creativity and practicality. A beautiful sketch is only the beginning. You have to think about the customer, the fabric, the fit and how people will actually wear the garment.”
Building a pipeline for local fashion talent
For Pick n Pay Clothing, that commercial education is at the centre of Futurewear.
Hazel Pillay, managing executive of Pick n Pay Clothing, says the programme was created to address one of the challenges facing young South African designers: having creative ability but limited access to the industry experience, mentorship and infrastructure needed to take that talent to market.
Mazhar’s longer-term ambition is to establish his own fashion house while continuing to explore South African heritage through contemporary design. Image supplied
“South Africa is home to exceptional creative talent, but many young designers never have the opportunity to understand how their ideas translate into products that reach customers at scale,” says Pillay.
“Futurewear exists to bridge that gap by providing mentorship, industry experience and a national retail platform that helps launch the next generation of South African fashion designers.”
Now in its sixth year, Futurewear was conceptualised in 2020 by Pillay and renowned South African designer Gavin Rajah, who continues to mentor each cohort.
The programme has evolved from its first two designers into an established talent-incubation initiative, receiving hundreds of applications annually and connecting emerging designers with the infrastructure of a national retailer.
That access is significant in an industry where the transition from design education to commercial production can be difficult.
From personal story to retail proposition
Rajah says Mazhar’s collection demonstrates the value of giving emerging designers the opportunity to work through that transition.
“Mazhar's collection is exactly what Futurewear was built for,” he says. “He's taken deeply personal references – family, heritage, home – and translated them into pieces that feel considered but completely wearable.”
For Rajah, the ability to balance emotional storytelling with commercial sense is one of the most difficult skills for a young designer to develop.
“Homegrown Heirlooms shows real maturity for a first collection,” he adds.
For Mazhar, the emotional connection remains central to his ambitions.
Describing his aesthetic as “nostalgic, refined and storytelling”, he believes clothing can serve as a way of preserving memories and celebrating identity.
“I want to create clothes that people treasure. Pieces that can be passed down through generations… not only because of their quality, but because of the stories they tell.”
Creating opportunities beyond the classroom
Mazhar’s longer-term ambition is to establish his own fashion house while continuing to explore South African heritage through contemporary design.
“I want my brand to become known for creating beautiful pieces that honour culture, heritage and nostalgia while still feeling modern and relevant,” he says.
His Futurewear journey highlights the role retailers can play in developing the country’s creative economy. Rather than simply providing a sales channel, Pick n Pay Clothing is using its design, production and retail infrastructure to give emerging designers insight into the full commercial lifecycle of fashion.
For young designers, that can mean the difference between having a collection that exists on paper and creating one that reaches customers across the country.
As South Africa’s fashion industry continues to develop, Futurewear illustrates how partnerships between established retailers and emerging creative talent can create a more practical pathway from fashion education to entrepreneurship, employment and commercial opportunity.
For Mazhar, that journey has already moved from the classroom to the shop floor – with Homegrown Heirlooms now giving shoppers nationwide the opportunity to wear his interpretation of South African heritage.
