Written Interview With the Finalists

Hey, Besties!

I have no idea how I catapulted myself into this timeline, but I am having a lot of fun right now.

After my brief (not so brief) conversation with Leeroy Esbend at the SAFW Student Competition exhibition, he kindly offered to organize a written interview with the finalists of my choice. So I picked seven of them because seven is the number of perfection.

If you had told me that morning that I would be writing this post, I would have had my doubts. But if you also told January me that November me would be in complete cahoots on a blog, I would have had my doubts too. Needless to say, I am surprised by how far my social skills have come (no, really, I grew up very awkward).

Right now, my methods are simple: I see art and dive into the mind of the artist, so I decided to dig deeper into the minds of the designers. This might be a little long, but I promise, you will love it and fall in love with them like I just did. They all had to alter a white cotton shirt to bring it to life. Here's the twist, though: I decided to have some fun with it; see, I love recommending music to people (unrequited), and it's often a hit or miss, I either NAIL or FAIL; rarely in between. So let's play a little game.

Without further ado, let us start:

Mikhail Brown

Before this exchange, I was unfamiliar with the work of Tomoko Nakamichi and am pleased to have learned something new today: Pattern Magic, one of the techniques Mikhail used to design his Deparri Shirt. The word “Deparri” means “protrusion” in Japanese. It reflects beautifully in the front pleats of his shirt, coupled with a band collar.

To him, fashion is a tool for beauty and self-expression; you can tell a lot about someone by the way they throw on an outfit: intentionality, creativity, identity. And he exudes all three in his sense of style.

As a sentimental, Mikhail finds inspiration in his surroundings: his beautiful fiancée, the kids at the raves, and the sensations that come from his perception of music.

Synaesthesia; that’s what it's called. Being able to perceive colours through sound. For him, the concept of the muse goes beyond what something/someone “is”; it’s about what it could be and what you make out of it.

Something he said about getting out of your own way to create better really spoke to me; how often do we experience creative block because we’re stuck in our own heads? (Me! Guilty as charged!)

If I had to guess the kind of music he listens to, I would say techno. So, to him, I would dedicate the album: In Sides by Orbital, partly because I like the cover artwork, and partly because I made sure to get the co-sign of a techno enthusiast to confirm the album is good, haha.

Dawn Nqumba

When I picture Dawn, I immediately think bold jewellery, soft makeup, and a cozy home with music playing from a Vinyl. As I saw her blouse, I noticed the pretty and intricate shoulder pads inspired by baobabs and the baobab fruit (have you seen the baobab fruit?).

The way she incorporated these details is genius! A lot of her personality reflects in her work; a reminder that boldness and softness can coexist. And that is a motto she lives by.

The bows remind me of lianas, and the shoulder pads are surrounded by ruffles resembling flower petals. The finished product was esquisitely elegant and of great taste. It took space while holding delicate touches.

In her words, “true strength does not shout, it sustains,” and I second it. Her skill speaks for itself. I was so intrigued by the different techniques used on her cotton shirt that I had to ask what fabric she wouldn’t enjoy working with, and it’s polyester chiffon (I get it, girl), because of its resistance to structure. May I add: you want to brighten her day, please get her some peace lilies, they're her favourites!

If I had to guess the kind of music she listens to, I would saaaaay, R&B & Soul. So, to her, I dedicate the album Beautifully Human by Jill Scott. Why? Because Golden is the third track, she told me gold was timeless (she’s not wrong), and I think her plants sing the song I’m Not Afraid when she waters them.

Nawaal Joosub

Congratulations to Nawaal on winning the 2025 SAFW Student Competition! She combines love for fashion and for ballet, and my oh my, don’t you think this corset could feature in a Swan Lake play?

She holds history and mythology close to her heart, and I was intrigued to learn about her muse. As the Founder of House of Nyx, she explained that the name choice was inspired by the Greek goddess of the night. For her, nighttime holds deep intimacy, as it “feels like a return inward, to the self beneath the roles and noise and expectations... It’s about the beauty of what we are when the world is still. When we are honest. When we are stripped back to the emotional truth of who we are.”

I have to agree, the only time I could sit down to write this post was after 10:00 PM, when it’s quiet and I can finally hear my own thoughts.

Her resilience shows in her craft, especially in the meticulous weaving of her corset. Nawaal’s perspective on the passing of time was deeply touching, especially her belief that nothing we experience is wasted or pointless. She found solace in Fashion after years of dedication to ballet and recovering from a back injury. That transition taught her the beauty of transformation, reflected in this beautiful hand-woven garment inspired by mummification.

If I had to guess the kind of music she listens to, I would say Indie and Alternative Pop. To her, I dedicate the album Charm by Clairo, because the melodies are soothing, calm, and reflective, just like nighttime.

Vuyiswa Mdebuka

This piece was nothing short of a show-stopper! The details and accessories led me to wonder about the reason behind it. Each accessory was chosen to reflect the Crucifixion of Christ.

Anchored in her Faith, Vuyiswa shared that she had a one-on-one with God during a season of forced stillness due to illness in 2024. As a Christian myself, who grew up in the Faith, I deeply relate to those transitions where your relationship with God shifts, the moment He becomes “Yours” in a personal way. Aren’t we glad she is back on her feet? Now we get to see the lovely work of her hands and watch her ideas expand.

Today, she is the founder of Eloi (meaning My God), a brand that carries both cultural and spiritual resonance. Each accessory, carefully curated, balances beauty and pain. The hemp ropes, for example, represent Judas’ betrayal and redemption. The front zip represents the body of Christ, which is beautiful because zips bring fabric “together” (you get me?).

Fashion has connected her with people on a deeper level, through the love and support she received during this year’s competition, which is her proudest milestone as a Designer and Brand Owner. Fashion, as she described it, is not just about aesthetics. It conveys a message, it showcases values, and I admire this about her.

If I had to guess the kind of music she listens to, I would say Alternative Christian Music. Therefore, I dedicate the album In Due Time by CalledOut Music to her, because it’s uplifting and refreshing. The transition between the tracks is seamless, with lyrics that bring so much hope.

Luxolo Qelana

Animal prints are IN, and Luxolo delighted us with a cow print cotton shirt inspired by the Nguni cattle. As a proud Xhosa man, he draws his inspiration from his heritage, making fashion a vessel for storytelling.

His shirt, one of my favourites of all, was the most explicit for me. It did all the talking, so much that I could have almost gone without interviewing him… but wait… how else would we know that the most stylish person in his family is his uncle? A creative and fine artist who coordinates colours and fabrics as no one else could. I’ve said it before: to get in touch with a person’s culture, look to the arts and fashion.

His pride in his upbringing is rooted in the community built around their sustainable lifestyle through tailoring their own clothes, crafting, and farming, his family’s ability to turn the work of their hands into meaningful and functional art. It is no surprise that he fell in love with fashion design.

He strikes me as a very grounded and introspective person, yet, somehow, guessing his favourite genre is the hardest so far. I mean, I did say I hit or miss.

If I had to guess, I would say he listens to Hip-Hop and Rap, and a lot of it is local. So, to him, I will dedicate the album Emkhaya by Mlindo the Vocalist.

Why? Because it’s cultural, it makes the culture “cool again” (not my words, Mlindo’s words). The album pays homage to the Xhosa heritage and features icons of the South African music industry from different musical worlds. Think Sjava, Kwesta, DJ Maphorisa, artists you'd assume are from separate universes, yet Mlindo blends them all in his sound.

Ntokozo Makhanya

I love diving into artists’ minds because I like to be proven wrong. And Ntokozo was pleasantly surprising in the little bit that I got to know about her. Having to juggle rural life and city life, her middle ground has always been faith, with her mother’s love being a constant in her life.

This intricate shirt is adorned with pleats, showcasing a great attention to detail and a deep understanding of the fabric's nature. It caught my eye because of the relief created at the base, mimicking the dunes and mountains of the desert.

Ntokozo is a designer who devotes herself to the mastery of her craft. She revealed the amount of work her design required, which gave this delicate, timeless outcome. With the desert as her muse, I was quick to offer the e-book version of The Little Prince, and she confessed a preference for movies; luckily, the book has been adapted into three different animated versions. I believe she would enjoy it because the story holds the desert as a main theme and explores the complexity of love and care, which highly resonates with her. She strikes me as soulful, Godly, and family-oriented.

If I had to guess the kind of music she listens to, I would say R&B, but the old school/soulful kind, because she’s super close to her mom.

To her and her mom, I would dedicate the album Legends by Lebo Mathosa. A highly visual music album that’s simultaneously groovy, feminine, and nostalgic. Essentially a Kwaito album with strong R&B, Dance, and Afro pop incorporation.

As we wait for an update on the very last finalist, I would like to thank them all for their participation. I truly commend their passion for what they do and the story behind their motivation. It has been a pleasure to put together this written interview. My favourite part was, without a doubt, exploring different music genres to guess what they might like. It wouldn't be fun if I only recommended what I liked now, would it?

Thank you for reading besties! Which one of these would you wear and how would you style it? Let me know, I write back ;)