36Boutiques' Style Council

Alf Hartzenberg

Ethical Fashion & Fair Trade practitioner, MD of Environmental Textile Solutions
Alf studied engineering at UCT and holds diplomas in Textiles, Production Management, Business Administration and Financial Management. He has had extensive dealings with the full spectrum of management teams in large retail chains and industrial plants in South Africa, the US and Europe. Alf served as Tommy Hilfiger’s Southern Africa President when he launched the unisex sportswear brand in South Africa at the 2005 Cape Town Fashion Week. He is the current chair of Clotex, a clothing sector NGO in the Western Cape and has extensive experience in training and project management. Alf has undertaken both Godfather and Specialist mentoring in the Cape Town Fashion Council’s (CTFC) Fashion4Business programme in 2010 and is one of five UNEP trained ecolabel trainers in South Africa today. He operated his clothing and textile cleaner production and ecolabel consultancy in Cape Town before joining the CSIR as Regional Project Manager in UNIDO’s Industrial Energy Efficiency Project in April 2011.

Bryan Ramkiliwan

CEO of Cape Town Fashion Council
Before being elected to his current position as CEO, Bryan served on the CTFC board for four years. He also sits on the steering committee of The Fringe, Cape Town’s new innovation district, a project that he led with the Technical and Business Education Initiative in South Africa. As CEO, he looks forward to expanding existing partnerships and setting up inter-disciplinary collaborations between creatives and entrepreneurs across the board. He is passionate about getting the local design industry recognised internationally and believes that South Africa has immense potential as an export market. Bryan has a background in fashion design and currently lectures in Creative Design and Computer Studies in the Department of Informatics and Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). Bryan also consults as a curation advisory member for Africa Fashion International, the organisation that stages Cape Town Fashion Week for spring/summer, Audi Johannesburg Fashion Week for autumn/winter and Africa Fashion Week, that showcases Africa’s fashion talent to an international market.

Craig Native (Craig Alec)

Designer of Native Clothing
Inspired by the diverse mix of South African cultures, Craig Native launched his fashion label, Native Clothing in 2000. Craig has since won numerous fashion awards, including the Trend Setter category in the Men’s Health Man of The Year awards in 2010; and Best Menswear and Most Promising Designer in South Africa. He has collaborated with popular clothing brands, Puma, Adidas and Woolworths, for whom he produced a range. Craig also designs an exclusive range using Cotton Made in Africa. Celebrity fans of Native Clothing include Lenny Kravitz, Al Jarreau, Erykah Badhu and Sol Williams. Craig is also an international Green Peace ambassador for design.

Dion Chang

Observer and Trend Analyst at Flux Trends
Dion is a sought-after trend analyst, and while his feet remain firmly planted on African soil, he uses a global perspective to source new ideas and identify cutting-edge trends. In his capacity as a trends analyst he has consulted for both local and international corporations. He has worked in various fields in the magazine and fashion industries, and currently operates as a freelance journalist and columnist, specialising in social commentary. He has won five Mondi Magazine Awards for fashion editing and a Pica Award for fashion journalism. Dion is committed to growing the local fashion industry and continues to contribute to this development through a variety of organisations. His trends analysis company, Flux Trends, is responsible for launching the groundbreaking annual Flux Trend Review.

Giuseppe Russo

Founder & Editor In Chief, one small seed
Giuseppe is a passionate creative who has studied and worked in Luxembourg and Brussels. His career has spanned everything from web design, directing, photography, event organisation, art directing and 3D-animation to owning his own restaurant. Upon arrival in South Africa in 2005 he condensed this varied experience into one small seed, a highly regarded publication that is distributed in South Africa and internationally. The innovative and ever-evolving brand includes an online video platform, a production company, online social networking platform, an online photography magazine and an interactive magazine. The brand is a platform for aspiring artists to showcase their work and is a leader in contemporary popular culture.

Imraan Vagar

Creative Director and Member, Red Carpet Productions
Imraan studied drama and fine art at Natal University, before launching his own fashion label in Durban, creating customised evening, bridal and cocktail wear. Imraan retired from the world of fashion in 1998 to pursue a television career. He is one of the creators of the ‘new-look’ Eastern Mosaic for SABC 2 and has been with the show since its launch in 2000, working as presenter, creative director and narrator. His culinary talents have led to him becoming the regular presenter of Eastern Mosaic’s popular ‘Hot Stuff’ cooking segment. Imraan has also been voted Man of the Year (Most Stylish) by GQ Magazine; one of the top 100 Sexiest Men in the World by Femina magazine and Cosmopolitan magazine’s Man of the Month.

Jan Malan

Ambassador, Positive Rocks
Jan Malan, director of Umzingeli Productions, is one of the leading show producers in Africa. He conceptualised and spearheaded M-Net’s Face of Africa Model Search which has taken him to over 30 African countries and highlighted not only the beautiful women of Africa, but also exposed Africa's fashion design talent to the world. Jan pioneered Africa Designs, giving African designers the opportunity to showcase their talents on schedule at New York Fashion Week for the first time in 2000. Highlights include Afridesia for AngloGold, at New York Fashion Week, the launch of the African Renaissance Blue Train, the Nederburg Rare SA Finds and Couture Show, the Fairlady South African Fashion Awards and the BBC Africa Radio Awards. Jan has also worked as a curator for the Design Indaba Expo in Cape Town and was an ambassador and director for Sun International’s, Positive Rocks. He has staged high profile productions in 19 countries on 4 continents.

Jenny le Roux

Habits Clothing Owner
Jenny spent 15 years in the fashion department at Fairlady. She was so frustrated by the limited offering in the South African fashion market at the time, that she launched Habits in 1986. Habits started as a simple, elegant and occasionally quirky ready-to-wear range. In 2002 Habits launched an online shopping website, www.habits.co.za, which put it at the cutting-edge of virtual fashion. Today, the online store is a thriving part of the business. Jenny travels to Johannesburg twice a year with her crew for a Trunk Show, which gives clients outside of Cape Town an opportunity to view and buy her ranges. She participates in all the major fashion shows. In 2001 Jenny made a conscious decision to support the local industry by buying a factory, for which she sources only the finest fabrics locally and abroad. Jenny has won a number of awards for her contributions to the South African fashion industry, including three Catherine Awards, The SANS Directional Award, SABC Lifetime Achievement Award, Fairlady Best Fashion Brand Award and the Marie Claire Prix D’ Excellence De La Mode Online Retailer of the Year 2010.

Jo-Ann Strauss

Model, Television Presenter and Businesswoman
Born and raised in Cape Town, this Stellenbosch University graduate holds a B.Comm Law degree which she completed the year after winning the Miss South Africa pageant in 2000 and representing South Africa at the Miss World Pageant in Puerto Rico. She is best known for co-presenting the magazine programmes Pasella and Top Billing, and as a co-presenter of the travel series Top Travel. Jo-Ann has modelled alongside supermodels Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Elle McPherson and Helena Christensen, and has won numerous South African awards for her inimitable style. Jo-Ann, who has her own communications company, is a popular Master of Ceremonies and speaker at corporate occasions, charities and fashion events and is well-known on the charity circuit.

Josie Borain

Former International Model and Photographer
Josie Borain was a model for fifteen years in Paris and New York, working with fashion industry icons like Bruce Webber, Ralph Lauren, Steven Meisel, Calvin Klein, Irving Penn and Richard Avedon. She was the fashion editor of Fairlady magazine from 1997 to 1998. An experienced photographer, she has taken over thirty-five thousand images over a period of twenty years, including portraits, self-portraits, fashion photography and reportage. Josie has also done shoots for Icon, Visi, Interview and Elle magazine, among others. A course in Film Direction at the New York University Film School expanded her portfolio to include a number of commercials and documentaries for clients like Community Chest, Mr Price, Red Cross Children’s Hospital and Woolworths.

Robyn Cooke

Fashion Editor at O, The Oprah Magazine
Robyn is fashion editor of O Magazine and creator of popular fashion blog StyleGuideCT. Prior to joining O, Robyn wrote the fashion pages for iafrica.com, she also contributed the Style Counsel pages for Cosmopolitan magazine and Cosmopolitan’s website, the daily reviews at South African fashion week for AFI, as well as freelance fashion writing for Chew, the Mail & Guardian and the in-house publication for Miglio Jewellery. Robyn has also had her own successful personal styling business, first in London and then in Cape Town. By marrying brand and fashion, she provides the local industry with international-standard insights, backed with an academic knowledge of fashion and a talent for styling.

Shakur Olla

Chairman of Incvest Property Group & creative director of Shakur Olla
Shakur Olla menswear is a leading South African luxury goods designer synonymous with exclusivity, creativity, sophistication and style. Shakur Olla’s creative signature has a chic and contemporary simplicity that is the essence of its timeless appeal. The brand’s cosmopolitan art, designs and creations are crafted from luxurious materials designed to enhance individual style. The Shakur Olla Style Gallery in trendy Green Point, Cape Town, is the brand’s flagship store, designed to showcase the brand’s luxury signature.

Simphiwe Dana

Performing Artist
One of South Africa’s most soulful singers, Simphiwe Dana is renowned worldwide for impressive vocal prowess. Her unique combination of jazz, pop, and traditional music has seen her hailed as the ‘new Miriam Makeba’. Her 2010 release, Kulture Noir, has been receiving praise all over the globe. Apart from winning two METRO FM Music Awards in 2010 for Best Female and Best Contemporary Jazz Album, it also claimed the No. 1 spot on the German World Music Chart and the No. 3 spot on the European Music Chart. Simphiwe has maintained a strong local presence, with live appearances at key national events and festivals such as Arts Alive, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival and the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz. With three commercially successful and critically-acclaimed albums to her credit, she maintains a busy performance roster, which increasingly includes international dates.

Thulare Monareng

Award Winning Designer - Collage Fashion Deli Designer & Owner
Thulare Monareng was born in Soweto. She has a Bachelor’s degree in political science and a Master’s degree in public administration and management, as well as a degree in fashion buying and merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York. Thulare began work as designer and stylist for the TV show Backstage on her return to South Africa. In 2002, she won the Most Innovative Designer Award at the Cape Town Fashion Festival. After a four year hiatus she returned to the fashion scene with a collection presented at the 2009 Arise Africa Fashion Week to much acclaim. 2010 marked the launch of her new label, Thuli Tees and a collection produced for Woolworths.

Wayne Bebb

Brand Master, 46664 - Brand ID and Love SA
Wayne is the CEO of Brand ID, a company that is both a custodian to top global brands and involved in the development of unique, homegrown brands. Brand ID is also involved in the distribution of branded apparel locally and globally. Among these brands is 46664 Apparel, which Brand ID has developed in partnership with the 46664 organisation, the custodians of Mr Nelson Mandela’s humanitarian legacy. After completing his qualification with Deloitte as a Chartered Accountant, Wayne allowed his love of business to be ignited in an entrepreneurial business operating across the African continent. So began his exposure to brand development, which eventually lead to his role as CEO of Brand ID. As a passionate South African, he believes in developing a brand that establishes a global presence for the country. Wayne is focused on developing brand partnerships that support South Africa’s many social challenges.