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Helene Blignaut on Anthropology of Fashion

Helene Blignaut on Anthropology of Fashion

Author: Kasia Yoko
Date: 2015-07-24
Helene Blignaut is a very interesting lady; I met her at the launch of the annual Durban Fashion Fair. Exquisitely attired and displaying a regal pose, I had to find out who she was and what she was doing here.

With Huguenot roots and South African heritage, Helene spent most of her life in the fashion capital of the world - Milan. Helene has been invited to South Africa to help find the talent amongst the top KZN Fashion Design students; her mission is to take the students to Italy on a two-month fact finding tour of the world's largest fashion industry.

"Do you know that I am not really a fashion designer, but I have a degree in anthropology." Helene tells me, "Fashion is strongly related to anthropology. Fashion is a way we communicate. It's our manifesto. I am not a designer - I am an expert in human nature."

Helene has been working around the world consulting and assisting fashion schools and sharing her vast knowledge with fashion industries globally. Her last assignment took her to Japan where she spent five years doing what she loves - contributing to the global fashion industry.

The selected students will be taken around Milan, Rome, Florence and Venice. They will have an opportunity to meet the world's top fashion designers, attend fashion shows and also spend time in the fashion and textile production companies.

"On the 29th of August I will be selecting the top ten candidates from the pool of KZN young fashion design students and I will be taking them with me to Italy." Helene told me. "I have also invited internationally renown Italian/Palestinian designer to showcase his talent at the Durban Fashion Fair which will be taking place between the 26-29 August."

Durban Fashion Fair (DFF) is the brainchild of Sindi Shangase, who is the DFF programme manager and has a full blessing from Durban Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nomvuzo Shabalala. Don't miss Durban's fashion happening of the year at the end of August.