I am an Alumna of the Evelyn College of Design class of 1990, having joined Evelyn’s in my final year,
after the college I had enrolled in suddenly closed down while in my second year of a 3- year Fashion
Degree Programme. Through this combination I always say that I got was fortunate to get the “best of
both worlds”, having undergone benefited from a strong design foundation in design as well as
acquiring the Evelyn College Diploma and the City and Guilds Certificate in clothing and production
management. My strength being these very effectively supported my focus on pattern drafting and
garment production.
Evelyn College offered me my first five year’s work experience.: two as a part-time teacher in Pattern
Drafting and Construction, and there after as a lecturer in Art and Design, Pattern Drafting and Clothing
Construction, to the Diploma students. This exposure enabled me perfect my skills and developed my
confidence in the context of the design industry.
My next 6 years’ exposure was here in Fashion and Retail management. I opened a business as a
co-founder of African Inspiration, as the Creative Director and CEO of a company that operated under
a retail franchise for the Dutch multinational Vlisco, whose fabrics are popularly known as
“Hollandaise”.
In my three decades in design as a practitioner, I have seen the Fashion and Design Industry transform
from Made- to-make Measure and Bespoke tailoring of small scale design houses (inspired by western
designers and Vogue magazines such as Vogue) to the emergence of young upcoming designers whose
creativity is inspired by global ‘“fast’” fashion trends, Pinterest and social media exposure.
Today’s designer has access to marketing through social media influencers and the wider creative
industry through as promoted by film artists and musicians. I am excited at the opportunities that Evelyn
College is offering tohe future designers, as we transform the creative industry through BTEC and the
new TVET competency- based programmes (not least benefiting from mature online teaching and
learning), which will enable the young entrepreneur-designers to run sustainable businesses through
linkages with industry and benefiting from government support.
