Five of the 16 finalists in the inaugural South African edition of the Pierre Cardin Young Designers Award are final-year Bachelor of Visual Arts (Fashion and Textiles) students at Nelson Mandela University.
NMU students Siviwe Ngcuwe, Sonwabo Nkosi, Snegugu Ntshingila, Lathitha Poswa and Sphamandla Somerset are all through to the final round of the competition, which is aimed at discovering and nurturing the next generation of fashion designers.
The SA edition of the contest is facilitated through SA Fashion Week and is open to participants from fashion schools across the country.
The selection process included the assessment of storyboards submitted by the aspirant designers, with the final selection taking place at Pierre Cardin headquarters in France.
The five NMU finalists will soon travel to Johannesburg to attend SA Fashion Week for five days.
The programme includes workshops, fashion shows, behind-the-scenes access and an awards evening, where the overall winner will be announced.
The winner will get the opportunity to spend a three-month internship at the Pierre Cardin Atelier in Paris, including accommodation, a stipend, an internship salary of £1,000 (R21,780) a month and all travel expenses.
Adding to the achievement, Poswa is also a finalist in the BERNINA Dress Your Style 2026 Competition, along with fellow NMU student Brennan Stroud.
The BERNINA competition will culminate in a live “sew-off” final, where finalists will be challenged to construct garments under tight time and creative constraints.
The prize package, valued at between R80,000 and R100,000, comprises sewing machines and equipment.
