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Picture: EUNICE DRIVER PHOTOGRAPHY | SA FASHION WEEK
“We take a long view on the development of programmes and revising of content, cognisant of where the industry is going and taking into consideration the fashion value chain to produce graduates for every sector. This ensures we offer qualifications that will ensure our graduates are employable and can contribute to the Leonardo Snyman, development of our country.” head of the Teaching critical thinking and creative Johannesburg and problem-solving starts with providing a safe Pretoria campuses space for students on campus. at Stadio School “We encourage our students to expand of Fashion. their creative problem-solving abilities and become comfortable and confident in their skills. This is achieved with the help of top-quality lecturers with excellent teaching and technical skills, and relevant industry experience. In addition, our curriculum is filled with localised content to make learning more relevant and to enable students to get absorbed into the workforce faster.” Students are exposed to industry stakeholders and partners to obtain real-world experience through internship programmes as part of degrees. The majority of its graduates are employed by the fashion industry locally and internationally. Collaborations will be key to growing the local clothing and textile industries, says Snyman. “Creatives collaborate by nature and this is one of the most important skills in the future world of work. As a country, we urgently need to plot out the SA fashion value chain to determine where shortages exist, from a human-capital perspective, so we can develop those skills and abilities. We also need to start sharing knowledge and insights with other role players to ensure the localisation and development of the value chain.” — Lynette Dicey
Munkus
ashion designers, part of the clothing and textile sector, contributed about R1bn to SA’s GDP in 2019, according to a study led by the department of trade, industry & competition and the South African Cotton Cluster. Research found “the sector’s contribution to the local economy, as well as identified potential impact, positions the designer apparel sector as a key investment opportunity”. This is clear evidence fashion graduates can create viable careers and, in turn, support the development of SA’s economic ecosystem, says Leonardo Snyman, head of the Johannesburg and Pretoria campuses at Stadio School of Fashion, the largest and only internationally accredited fashion school in SA. Previously known as Lisof, Stadio School of Fashion offers qualifications that produce graduates for every element of the fashion value chain. Its programmes include higher certificates, BA and BCom degrees, an honours degree and, from next year, a diploma in clothing production that aligns with the growing needs of the local fashion manufacturing sector. Snyman is particularly excited about this new offering. “The local fashion industry is about to boom. The pandemic forced consumers to explore locally made products. Clothing that is locally designed, manufactured and sold creates jobs, with the added benefit of providing apparel that is more affordable and sustainable.” He believes Africa can leapfrog into the fifth industrial revolution by focusing on human-centred skills and abilities that will drive employment creation and economic growth. “There is a growing awareness globally of human-centred skills given the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The School of Fashion and the programmes we offer focus on nurturing and transferring these skills,” he says, adding that the institution understands its graduates need to have these skills to be ready for the jobs of the future.
The ‘creative economy’ is the 21st century’s fuel
The Art of Making Knowledge Work Our current, dynamic, cutting-edge teaching and learning curricula allow students to practice what they are taught, producing future-ready creatives.
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reative industries and the careers they offer are an important part of the job market and play a key role in the local economy. A frequently quoted maxim, attributed to John Newbigin, a member of the UK government’s Creative Industries Council, is that where oil was the primary fuel of the 20th-century economy, creativity is considered by many to be the fuel of the 21st century. Creative careers span a range of industries, from advertising, architecture, fine arts, design and fashion design, to music, performing arts, publishing, TV and radio, among others. Digital technologies have given rise to even more careers, fusing arts and creative industries. A 2008 UN report pointed to the potential of what it called “the creative economy” to boost economic growth and revealed that the rapid rate of creative and cultural industries was being felt globally. So where do those looking for a creative career find training? For those interested in advertising and marketing, the AAA School
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Giving SA’s fashion
of Advertising, Vega School and Red & Yellow offer a variety of degree, diploma and certificate courses. AAA, which was established by the Association of Advertising Agencies to train young talent, offers courses in marketing communication, creative brand communication, visual communication and digital marketing at its campuses in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Vega, with campuses in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Pretoria, and an online option, has a similar but extended offering, providing courses in brand communication and brand management; interior design; copywriting; video and photography; and graphic, digital and game design. Cape Town-based Red & Yellow offers a similar line-up to Vega. Budding chefs also have a number of options, including Capsicum Culinary Studio, which has campuses in Boksburg, Pretoria, Rosebank, Nelson Mandela Bay, Durban and Cape Town, or Silwood School of Cookery in Cape Town. — Lynette Dicey