“Everything we wear should include a bit of us. Your aesthetic should say who you are and where you come from. There’s a richness in our sub-cultures, in the stories we wear every day, that’s how fashion should be taught.” It’s this sentiment, expressed by Fezile Mdletshe, founder of the Fezile Fashion Skills Academy (FFSA) that first captured the attention of Esprit’s brand team over a year ago.
As a brand built around owning your unique flavour, Esprit was excited to partner with the fashion college in part because of Mdletshe’s belief that the future of fashion is the next generation, but also because of her commitment to creating local fashion that reflects who we are as South Africans. As Mdletshe says: “African bodies come in all different shapes and sizes, and we cannot ignore that.”
As part of this celebration of differences and of the next generation of fashion talent, Esprit has so far put 42 students through their studies at the Durban-based college. “As South Africans we have such a rich culture and so many stories to tell. It made perfect sense for us a brand that believes in unique self-expression to be part of building the future of the South African fashion industry,” adds Mdletshe.“We’re excited about being part of the FFSA’s journey and about giving our Esprit consumers more opportunities to express themselves through fashion and to #ServeUmswenko. We’ve got exciting things to come so watch this space.”
You can follow this growing partnership and find out more on Esprit’s social channels: Instagram @espritsouthafrica
Facebook and Twitter @EspritRSA
#ServeUmswenko
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