South African fashion awards winner on her way to samba

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Danette Breitenbach

Today, Friday 25 February 2011, Zanele Ncane, winner of the 16th Annual Vukani Fashion Awards 2010 goes to start her international fashion and entrepreneurship internship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This programme, arranged by the DAD Fund, places Ncane in the NGO "Barriera do Vasco", where she will assist the samba schools in creating the elaborate garments for the biggest show on earth, the Rio de Janeiro Carnival. She will also work with established and well known Brazilian designers, Sol Azulay and Patrizia D'Angelo. Ncane, a 21-year old fashion designer from Umbilo KwaZulu-Natal, returns to South Africa on 8 April.

Zanele's winning collection.

"The reason she has been placed in these organisations and been encouraged to shadow these great designers, is so that her career as a designer is enriched by the distinct Brazilian culture and fashion. Ideally, she should be adding a bit of South Africa to everything she will work on over the coming six weeks," said Lyndon Barends, founder and director of the DAD Fund. The fund is a non- profit organisation that focuses on youth development and education through providing local and international bursaries, local and international internships, entrepreneurship programs, educational programs and community projects.

"This is the first time that the DAD Fund has sponsored the Vukani Fashion Awards with a prize of this nature," said Sonwabile Ndamase, president of SAFDA and patron of the Vukani Fashion Awards. "We are very excited about her trip and she will return in time to share her experiences with the next group of Vukani finalists for 2011."