We’ve got great news for all you brilliant young creatives who want to study fashion design!
Fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee is looking for a talented, driven student who wants to follow in his footsteps, and has opened applications for the GJC Bursary 2016 worth R180 000! The bursary will help one ambitious designer by covering their study costs for an internationally accredited fashion course at the Northwest School of Design.
Not only will the winner receive this three-year course, they will also be personally mentored by Gert-Johan Coetzee! The prize includes a Bernina SA sewing machine and an overlocker, valued at R35 000.
“There is a lot of raw talent in South Africa, and the fashion industry is growing so fast that it offers real career opportunities for skilled and talented professionals,” says Coetzee, who is as renowned for dressing local and international celebrities as he is for his social involvement. “I am lucky to be able to run a successful business doing what I love, and it’s important for me to help polish the talent in the next generation, to give them a foot in the door in a competitive industry,”
This is the sixth year that the designer has run the GJC Bursary in the hopes of helping a promising student get their foot into the door of the fashion industry. Last year’s winner, Christopher Gill, was stuck in a bland job as a shop assistant while making dresses for women in his free time as a hobby. He loved designing and sewing since he was a child, but did not have the funds to get a proper qualification. With the help of the GJC Bursary, combined with his dedication and passion, he has almost completed his first year at NWSD and can’t believe how much his career prospects have changed.
An exciting new facet to the bursary programme is the Brutal Fruit sponsorship of a fourth-year internship for the 2015 bursary graduate. The recipient of the Brutal Fruit Fellowship will have the opportunity to spend a full year at Coetzee’s studio, fine-tuning their craft and learning about the business of design and production first-hand. “We are thrilled that Brutal Fruit has partnered with us so we can offer what amounts to a master’s programme to the GJC bursary graduate in 2016,” said Coetzee.
Gert is looking for someone who displays real passion and an unfailing attitude. “Yes, there must be talent too,” Gert explains, “But skill and technique can be taught, while attitude is what really separates the winners from the wannabes.”
Applications for this year’s bursary are now open to aspirant designers who have a national Senior Certificate Matriculation or an international equivalent. If you are interested in applying, or know of someone who could benefit from the programme, you have until 12 October 2015 to submit two sketches and a mood board along the theme Uptown Cool. To apply, complete the online GJC bursary application available on www.nwsd.co.za.
For more hot fashion news, tips and buys check out our fashion section.
Want more breaking celebrity news? Click here.
