Soweto’s finest designer hopes to dress DJ Black Coffee. Having failed to realise his dream as a professional footballer owing to a long-term injury, Zamaswazi Nkosi opted to venture into the world of business.
The Soweto-based entrepreneur decided to take the fashion design route and based on his success, the rest is history.
Nkosi says he used to play around with his sister’s damaged clothes and fixed them but later discovered that he has a rare talent on his hands.
Through the help of a friend, he managed to watch more films on Fashion TV and says his friend, Brian Lehang, played a pivotal role in developing his craft.
“I started researching something that will make people notice my skill and something that will make me travel the world,” he said as quoted by SundayWorld.
As someone who grew up under the guidance of a single parent, the 30-year-old looks at getting glorious opportunities where he also formed part of the design competition on SABC1 called RawSilk.
Back in 2019, the gifted designer received an invitation from Zindzi Mandela who ensured he was part of a fashion exhibition in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Speaking about Lehang, there’s no doubt that Nkosi remains to his counterpart who bought his first industrial machine to empower his skill.
“Lehang helped me with many things. He took me to the mall and subscribed me to DStv so I’d be able to watch Fashion TV. He also bought me my first industrial sewing machine and we started making collections for local fashion shows,” he added.
Among his clients is none other than the former Miss South Africa Shudufhadzo Musida and reigning Miss SA Lalela Mswane.
“I have applied again this year to be a part of the designers to dress two contestants in the final top 10 and I’m still waiting for them to call me; I’m just crossing [my] fingers because the Miss SA [pageant] is a big platform,” reflected the self-made designer.
Despite having set the tone in the fashion sector as far as his arrival is concerned, he still harbours the ambition to style the likes of DJ Black Coffee and Bonang Matheba among others.
Main Image: Zamaswazi_SA/Instagram
