TUT’s Fashion Conspiracy One of The Best in Its League

On Friday, 10 September 2010, the Tshwane University of Technology’s fashion department took us to bedrooms with kinky underwear, weddings, across African and international borders and even to the future with various interpretations of the senior students’ fashion show theme, Conspiracy.

The highly sponsored event was hosted by former Yo-TV presenter, Cecilia Ravele, who appeared nervous at first as she stumbled over her words. She soon broke out in loud laughter, admitted she was a bit nervous, composed herself and eventually proved to be a brilliant host. The young celebrity even praised TUT’s top standard by saying it was “one of the best fashion shows organised by a university” she had been to.

Senior students were not the only ones allowed to showcase their work as some students from junior years who had taken their work to the Durban July earlier this year were also given the opportunity to show their capabilities. The top works of some of the second years were also shown on the night. The audience seemed to enjoy the theme of Ayoba with various interpretations of Football Friday and the South African flag.

.

With Conspiracy the students showed a handle that probably some of the most experienced in the fashion world would not have. Just like any fashion show of good standard some of the clothes left those not familiar with such events asking where certain outfits would be worn as they were too avant-garde for the streets.

The collections on stage were also clearly from people with different life experiences as there were clothes for big girls, the extremely skinny, the well-toned man or woman, maternity wear and even children’s wear. There were even a few small African brooms, bedroom whips and stars just covering the most essential bits of the body. This year’s senior fashion students clearly had no boundaries with their work.

Tshepiso Tshabalala's collection took
top honours.

Some of the biggest prizes of the evening went to Tshepiso Tshabalala with her futuristic men’s and women’s collection. Tshepiso took home the prize for Best Range – Innovative, Thandeka Mbele had the Best Range – Commercial, Nthabiseng Nkadimeng received the award for Best Concept Collection, the Best Garment prize went to Lebogang Moaje, Boni Bowane was the Best Creative Designer, the Most Promising Student award went to Tumiso Thlabane, the Best Upcoming Student award was given to Phumzile Langa and Anika Badenhorst was seen as the Most Enterprising Student.

They were judged by a high calibre of people in the fashion industry including Nombasa Mncube, Tshepo Modiba from Artistic Soul, St. Lorient Fashion and Art Gallery Owner Lucy Anastasiadis and socialite, footballer's wife and businesswoman Sonia Booth.

As TUT’s top graduates often make it big in the fashion industry, one is certain that this year’s prize winners are some of the names to watch out for in future.

Summer Time, Spring Day on Campus

Annual Fashion Showing Taking Place Tomorrow

Soweto Derby Has No Spark Anymore

Selahle Mokwena

I remember the days when the Soweto Derby used to be worth talking about. The current crop of players we see these days seem as if they were taken from the fields before bearing fruit. The match between the two supposedly biggest teams in South Africa has become like any other match often ending goal less or at times one of the two just manages to score one goal. Watching the two sides against each other is often a waste of a Saturday afternoon.

Some say the introduction of fat pay cheques is the reason behind the poor showing of both Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. I don’t believe money should be an issue here because the players of yesteryear were paid much less but they still showed unbelievable dedication. If a person who doesn’t have much to play for shows a lot of resilience then one would expect that the new breed of players with a couple of zeros on their pay slips would play a lot better as they want to get even more zeros there. But that does not seem to be the case with the teams that enjoy the best support in South Africa.

I think some players prioritise other things over football. Take a player like Teko Modise for instance. He is often on television to the point that I am starting to believe he has no time to be at his football training. He would obviously have to be given time off to shoot television commercials for the various brands he is promoting.

With this one can safely conclude that the Soweto Derby has lost its old spark. While pride of the team is still important, footballers are now playing for money above all else.

I would however tell you not to be discouraged to watch this weekend’s derby in the MTN8 quarterfinals at FNB Stadium.It could be something worth talking about on Sunday while having breakfast or on your way to get or beg for one or two to get rid of that hangover.

Someone Needs To Protect The Elderly Who Fall Prey To Criminals

Tlaki Baloyi

Recently I heard of an elderly woman who was murdered with a panga after being raped while going to her place of work, the corn fields of Soshanguve. The rumour mill says the woman was attacked because the thugs wanted her cell phone.

It is puzzling that these criminals are not just taking what they want from people and are continuing the culture of violent crime in South Africa. Not condoning it, but it would have been better if this was a young man who could at least try to protect himself.

These women who work in corn fields until they have passed the age of retirement are not doing it because it is fun for them. They are doing such jobs because they need to feed families and many have grandchildren they are taking care of. This is also not the first time such occurs in this place. Clearly the spirit of ubuntu that South Africans are known to have is clearly disappearing when young men can attack an elderly woman just for a mere cell phone.

The woman’s family says they realised she had been attacked after an unknown man answered her cell phone telling them to fetch her as he was done with her. They rushed her to George Mukhari Hospital where she died three days later. I am still puzzled that a young African man can kill a woman as if it is a normal thing to do and then tell her family that he is done with her and they can fetch the woman.

What makes it worse is that she was taking care of grand-children and now the whole family will have to suffer and find other means of taking care of the kids as the person who was the bread winner has been hacked to death. I believe that authorities need to do something as this has happened before. The country is often promoted as the best in the world with the best opportunities, but when these things happen one tends to wonder if there is any truth to those advertisements.

Spring Day Water Splash Disrupts Learning

Pearl Nicodemus

To celebrate the arrival of an extremely hot spring the students of the Tshwane University of Technology, Soshanguve campus, take the first of September off and splash water around for the whole day. This is a tradition on this campus.

This year the activities started at midnight. The students who live on the residences on campus decided they were not going to sleep but play around with water where they live. That resulted in waterlogged rooms.
Some continued until the sun was out and those who wanted to learn had arrived on campus. Others went to sleep, but the activity gained momentum as the day progressed because those who had been splashed with water earlier on started to seek revenge.

It’s good for the students to have fun on such a day, but it seems as if they do not care much about those who do not want to be part of the activities. Those who would protest against what was going on would get a mob with buckets around them and the result would not be a pretty one.

Many lecturers were respected, but their cars were not. If one had not been informed about the activities of Soshanguve North they would have thought the cars leaving the campus had been in a rainy part of South Africa.

Students who drive were not spared. One student complained about his car seats being wet after he got out of the car to discipline a student who was making it muddy after pouring water on it. As soon as he opened his car door, he was greeted with a bucket of water which did not only wet him, but the inside of his car as well.

Some lecturers have complained about security guards who do nothing when such happens.
The problem with this activity is that some people who want to attend lectures are prevented from doing so as they are greeted by buckets of water as they enter campus.

Students continued with their “fun” until the late hours of the afternoon. The following day everything went back to normal with no sign of the chaos that took place the previous day.

Run And Walk Against Alcohol And Drug Abuse