Where designs and the catwalk meet

Justicia Shipena

WINDHOEK



Established five years ago, the MTC Windhoek Fashion Week this week marked the end of applications for designers, while the casting of models is still on the cards with the final round scheduled for this weekend.

A total of 90 models made it to the final round. With sponsorship from telecommunications giant MTC to the tune of N$3.6 million, the four-day event, which looks to showcase designers across the African continent, is slated for 1 to 6 December. tjil spoke to few models who took part in the casting about their experience and took a look at how far the logistics are for the biggest fashion event on the Namibian calendar.



Bigger and better

Model Lency Tjivata Kuhanga, who qualified for the final round of auditions, said she could see the professionalism and quality from afar and that the casting seemed bigger and better.

“It was all about projecting your confidence and giving the panel the energy they needed to see. It is not just a matter of beauty, it's more a matter of the trend of the moment as height was the most important tool of the castings,” she said.

Kuhanga said she can see how much of a quality event it is going to be, with quality models being picked.

“Qualifying for the last round was definitely part of the goal I had set for myself and that I get to walk for the fashion week.” She said she is looking forward to taking the stage with determination, courage and confidence, while hopefully walking for Sirenga, Ria and many others.



Practice makes perfect

Another model who attended the casting for the first time, Evany van Wyk said she spent many hours online researching the dos and don'ts of auditioning.

“I practiced my walk about a hundred times and, yes, I panicked when the day finally arrived. I wasn't expecting to walk in front of such a huge crowd and my stomach was turning the whole time,” she said. She added that watching all the other models audition before her made her nerves even worse.

“So, when it was my turn, I walked twice and then I went home. Of course, there was a feeling of: Did I do enough?”

For Van Wyk, this served as a learning opportunity for the future and hopefully the start of her modelling career.



Final touches

Speaking to tjil yesterday, Kalistu Mukoroli, the director of Windhoek Fashion Week, said they will soon reveal what will be different about this year's event.

“So far, we are busy finalising the models and designers who will be showcasing. It's going to be five years of Namibian fashion, that's what they can expect,” he said.

Mukoroli said the announcement of the designers will be made by the middle of this month, and the schedule as well as information on early bird tickets will be made available. With the fashion industry in Namibia growing rapidly, he said fashion week fosters the culture of supporting local brands and promoting 'Made in Namibia' fashion to the rest of the world.

“MTC Windhoek Fashion Week brings together industry-related individuals such as fashion designers; local and international brands; models; show producers; make-up artists; media practitioners; stylists; jewellery crafters, and many fashion enthusiasts, all on the same platform,” he said.