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Accolades stream in for young fashion designer

Accolades stream in for young fashion designer

Date: 2019-10-11

Third-year Fashion Design student, Alexandra van Heerden won the Judges' Award at the 'd'Urbania' 2019 Durban University of Technology (DUT) Fashion Show. The glitzy affair graced The Station Urban Event Space on Friday 4 October. The exhibition space was a celebration of a slice of cultures and subcultures that have shaped Durban into what it is known for and paid homage to the vast melting pot of cultures, beliefs and lifestyles.

Alexandra's showstopper creation themed around the Busker featured an imaginative ensemble of handcrafted BunnyKat Durban Dolls. The BunnyKat is increasingly becoming popularised as the cultural icon of Green Heart City Durban. The folkcraft dolls are made by Woza Moya crafters in the Valley of 1000 Hills. The action in the 'Down BunnyKat Lane' comic book series developed by Green Heart City takes place on urban streets.

The enterprising Alexandra received the Daphne Strutt Prize 2019 at a South African National Society (SANS) meeting earlier this year. Myra Boyes (SANS treasurer) presented the award to Alexandra who was accompanied by her parents, Sarah and Andre van Heerden, brother Nicolas and lecturer, Khaya Mchunu.

In her acceptance speech, Alexandra said: "At about the age of 13 I fell in love with everything and anything fashion related and it started to consume me... A great experience and desnitely a learning curve for me, the Vodacom Durban July Young Designers award was an achievement I will never forget. I love the styling aspect of fashion and certainly trend setting. If I had a crystal ball it would show me completely involved and engulfed in the fashion world."

The prize comprises a book titled 'Fashion in South Africa 1652 - 1900: An illustrated history of styles and materials for men, women and children, with notes on footwear, hairdressing, accessories and jewellery' (now out of print) by Daphne Strutt and R2 000.

Previous Daphne Strutt Prize winners include: Anya Grobler (2018), Zane Ngwenya (2017), Leandi Mulder (2016), Carla Ann Germeir (2015), and Candice Amy du Preez (2014).