What an honour for one of Bloem’s very own designers to join a leading fashion week in the industry.
Gerhardt Shebe, a very well-known designer in the town as well as across South Africa, will be joining the World Fashion Week (WFW) in Paris in October this year. Shebe was selected after entering a portfolio of himself on the website of WFW.
Shebe will have to create between 15 and 20 dresses for the fashion week, his chosen fabric being mostly lace.
He hopes to get a big break in France after the fashion week. “I will grab the opportunity immediately. I am so excited for the year ahead,” he said.
Shebe mentioned that a lot has happened since last year’s Free State Fashion Week. He will form part of the Miss Free State competition again this year by making 10 of the 20 finalists’ dresses. He has also been selected as a judge at Miss Free State Teen in March this year.
His main focus at this stage is the Mpumalanga Fashion Week, which will showcase haute couture.
Shebe recently visited Turkey to discover more about the world of fashion. “The visit was very interesting, but the language was very different and difficult. The people could not really speak English, so there was a major language barrier,” he said.
Shebe is busy week after week and deals differently with different situations. He focuses on sleeping just an hour longer. This way he keeps fresh and focused.
He also has other dreams to pursue. He wants to host his own plus-size fashion show in August. He would also want to pursue being a fashion consultant to inform individuals what to wear for their body type, but most importantly, what will suit their age.
“Everyday wear has become much cheaper, therefore there is no excuse to say you don’t look good because you don’t have money.”
Jeretha Oosthuizen
