BONGIWE WALAZA![]()
Bongiwe was born in a small community in Mqanduli, in Eastern Cape Province here in South Africa
She has also been a product developer for Wild Silk Africa while providing training for several of its employees. As a result of her innovative use of fabrics, Walaza also consults closely with renowned local textile company, Da Gama, which is developing a product for their Mandela range. Her company has also designed for Edgar’s stores. Walaza is presently involved in the B’avumile program, a skills development program for women especially in the rural areas.
Inspiration behind designs
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She is using her African heritage as her main designing muse, inspired by different cultures. Growing up in the rural area of Eastern Cape
Her designs are made to enhance the beauty of a woman’s body shape and movement. Her signature style is self generated handcrafted detailing, seamless color coordination and a figure friendly layering.
She describes her style as African traditional crossed with Victorian using isishweshwe, (an African fabric with African patterns comes with different coloures) She produced collections worn by both celebrities and private clients
Shweshwe as it is still worn in parts of Africa, it also have the mix of colonial style and the more traditional 
Aside from isishweshwe, Bongiwe uses a lot of satin, taffeta and some velvet. One of my favourate's sturning desings was at Joburg Fashion Week, themed “Freedom of Expression” which were combination of stretch satin, tulle and sequin which is matte and shiny.
Victorian/Elizabethan Inspiration
Bongiwe used some of Victorian era into her collection, a lot of obi belts in sight, full skirts, tiered skirts/dresses,Velvet and Taffeta, as there were shown in her colletion at Joburg Fashion week 2011 where she steered away from too much Shweshwe fabric and embraced pattern wholeheartedly but still managed to keep her heritage influences.
Marketing Strategies
Bongiwe is promoting and marketing her designs to the local market and to tourists, Her designs appear frequently in local fashion magazines such as True Love and have been featured internationally.
She is also involving in trade shows all over the world.One of her designs was featured in the Collezione Magazine – one of the leading fashionista style magazines in Italy. Black Coffee has a website which is the main marketing tool at the moment and her new ranges are showcased on the website.
Bongiwe's Achievments
Bongiwe has number of achievements to her credit including showcasing and exhibiting her designs in New York, India, Las Vegas, London, Switzerland, Japan, Milan, Vietnam, Singapore, Thessalonica in Greece, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Egypt and Singapore.
In 1997, The Du Pont Lycra Award which included a trip to Paris.
In 1998 Smirnoff International Fashion Awards – Finalist.
In 1999 The Rothman’s July Young Designer Award.
In 2000 M-net Anglo Gold Africa Designs Award which saw her range showcased at New York Fashion Week.
In 2002 Turffontein Summer Cup Fashion Awards – Emerging Designer Category.
In 2002 Showcased range in India.
In 2004 Showcased range in Switzerland, Japan, Vietnam and Milan.
In 2004 SA Fashion Week 2004 Johannesburg and Cape Town Fashion Festival.
In 2005 Design Indaba Expo 2005 Nederburg Collections.
While i was doing this research i found out that designers are facing the same challengies,like designing something unique and it can be very easy to stuck on your original idea instead of getting it more intresting, as she started her carrier using isishweshwe fabric but later she mixed that with other types of fabrics to come up with intresting designs. I love her simplistic way of designing, tailoring with a mixture of local fabrics and foreign ones, which are different colours.I like the fact that she is so passionate about her heritage and you can see that on her designs which is a story i also wanaa tell in my jewellery designs as a proudly african woman.
I find this statement so true "The challenge as a designer into take something that people don't ussually take seriously and turn it into something that people will stand up and take notice,"said Walaza.
Brief Biography
