SHEILA MHLONGO
Kuhlonishwe abasiki bengqephu abangu-13 abavelele baseThekwini nabamodeli abasha emcimbini wokuhlonishwa ngezindondo kowe-Durban Fashion Fair (DFF) Recognition Awards obuseDurban Exhibition Centre. Le miklomelo ibiyingxenye ye-2025 Durban Business Fair Excellence Awards, ebungaza amabhizinisi amancane, aphakathi nendawo kanye nasathuthuka edolobheni lonke. UMzwandile Mathonsi, umsunguli wezimpahla zabesifazane iZWANDYY, uhlomule ngendondo yokuba ngumklami wonyaka waseThekwini. Iqoqo lakhe eliwine imiklomelo, elithi Beauty in Black, ligqugquzelwe umphakathi wakhe kanye nohambo lwakhe.
UMathonsi, owake waba ngumqeqeshi we-DFF ozinze eNanda, usephenduke isilomo kwezemfashini eThekwini. Okunye okugqamile ngalobo busuku Umklomelo Wokuhlonishwa Okukhethekile onikezwe uSibu Msimango, umsebenzi wakhe othathe iminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi amabili futhi ohlanganisa imibukiso yasekhaya neyamazwe ngamazwe. Abanye abawinile kubalwa uSlo Makhanya, umsunguli weNomalawee, owathola indondo yokuqoqwa kweviki kanye no-R15 000, wokweseka iqoqo lakhe lesimanje lase-Afrika elinezingubo zemisebenzi eminingi. UThami Njabulo, inhloko yeMonarch Detailer, uwine iBest Menswear Collection, kwathi iModesta kaPinky Dlamini yathola iBest Ladieswear Collection. I-Fashion Innovator Award iye ku-Kireshen Chetty, umdwebi ohlonishwa ngemisebenzi yakhe emihle. I-Dfant Fashion Clothing yaqanjwa ngokuthi yi-Next Generation/Emerging Durban Designer.
Imiklomelo ye-DFF Rising Star Awards ithathwe uMelissa Dlamini ophume kuqala, uSiphesihle Khumalo ophume isibili, noSiphumelele Shange ophume isithathu. Emkhakheni wokumodela uSithembiso Mhlongo uwine iNew Face Male, uZandile Lungwase wathola iNew Face Female kwathi uMandisa Khuboni wahlabana ngeNew Face Plus Size. USihlalo weKomidi lokuThuthukiswa koMnotho nokuHlelwa kweDolobha, uKhansela Thembo Ntuli, uthe ama-DFF Recognition Awards asaqhubeka nokugqamisa ithalente leDolobha lemfashini.
“Lezi Zindondo ziyingxenye yoHlelo Lokuthuthukiswa Kwemfashini lwaseThekwini futhi zilandela umbukiso oyimpumelelo we-DFF, obuxhumanisa ithalente lasekhaya nabathengi, abaxhasi bezimali nababambe iqhaza embonini. Sekuyiminyaka eyishumi, Uhlelo Lokuthuthukisa Imfashini lube yinkundla ebalulekile kubasiki bengqephu ukuze bathole izimakethe, kuphinde kugqugquzelwe ukukhiqizwa kwendawo, amabhizinisi nokudalwa kwamathuba emisebenzi. Kubalulekile ukuthi siqhubeke nokweseka laba basiki bengqephu ukuze sibasize bathuthuke kwezamabhizinisi.” kusho uNtuli.
Uphinde wabonga isigungu samajaji ngokuzinikela nangobuchule balo. Amajaji ahlanganisa u-Greg Wallis, umsunguli we-D & G Apparel; Vuyisile Ngobese weHollywood Foundation; Thami Zondi wakwa-Edgars kanye noThemba Mthethwa ovela ku-TFG Group, amagalelo akhe asize ekukhetheni abawine onyakeni abafaneleke kakhulu. Landela i-@Durban Fashion Fair ezinkundleni zokuxhumana ukuze uthole ukwaziswa okwengeziwe kanye nezithombe ezinhle kakhulu.
