Media for May, 2014

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For many who have dreams of choosing fashion as a profession, a long difficult road lies ahead. The progression of the fashion industry has led it to create a partition between the elites who made it in and newcomers who aspire to get in. The partition proves, for most, to be a challenge too hard to confront.

It is for this reason that President of United Colors of Fashion (UCOF) Academy; Ciano Clerjuste started this one of a kind organization four years ago. His dreams of becoming a fashion designer were unfortunately deferred due to a personal tragedy. Although he chose a different career, he never forgot his dream and instead of wallowing in bitterness, he chose to invest in the dreams of the many young people who have their hearts set on the same journey.

Today, UCOF Academy actively helps under resourced youth in the tri-state area gain exposure and opportunities within the fashion industry in various fields. As interns of the UCOF Academy Educates: STAND (Students Training Arts and Design) program, which is the only one of its kind offering free training to students, these fashion hopefuls get the opportunity to learn everything about the industry. The experience they take from UCOF Academy equips them with the understanding and resolve thrive in fashion.

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BY: Monde Mtsi

CAPE TOWN – Recently, interns at United Colors of Fashion (UCOF) participating in the STAND Progam (Students Training in Arts and Design) were prescribed a brief to break away in two groups and conceptualize and launch two companies. One group, composed of Wilanda, Rose-Ann, Paul, Winifer, and lead by Norha Kavanagh, put their heads together to create a design house called, ARSHEL.

ARSHEL is a design house which produces womenswear, as the simulated work states. Its vision is to empower young women by creating innovative wardrobe essentials that replicate their personalities of boldness, fierceness and soulfulness, to name a few. The team worked through processes that involved understanding how textiles and design work hand-in-hand; Business Development, Marketing and Communications, and even event production. Some key findings by the group included identifying when presenting to a selection of buyers, what they would need to do to stand out and which retailers their brand would best fit with: These included Variazioni, Edit Boutique and Nordstrom.

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