The sky is the only limit for vibrant fashion designer

Flamboyant fashion designer, Nqabazi Bacela is aiming for the stars as her trendy colourful designs are in demand and draw the attention of fashion lovers.

Bacela hails from the Hlanga royal house in Kwenxurha Elliotdale, she is a descendent of Abathembu King Nxeko. She is the last born out of five siblings. Growing up she would effortlessly sketch designs as a hobby not knowing that she would pursue fashion as her career.

“I never knew I would have a fully-fledged career in fashion designing, I used to think being a doctor or lawyer were the only successful careers.  After passing matric I did not know which career path to choose, my brother advised me to do fashion design. I conducted research on the course and later got accepted at the University of Johannesburg,” Bacela told Elliotdale Scoop.

Bacela mostly designs cultural wear and sometimes infuses it with modern style, her cultural designs are inspired by her late father, Nkosi Ngubesizwe Bacela who always encouraged her to be proud of her culture and remember her roots.

 

“When I was doing my final year, I had to create a collection that was inspired by a certain theme, so I chose to do a collection that is Xhosa inspired, I loved sewing beads, hence it was an easy choice for me. With different ethnicities in Johannesburg, I wanted to celebrate my culture,” she said.

After graduating in 2019, she struggled to find a job. She was further disappointed when a certain established designer in Joburg, whose identity she wishes to keep private for fear of reprisals, denied her a chance to showcase her work, after a meeting they had held.

 

“I remember as I walked out of the building I was crying and the security guard with another person comforted me, they asked to see my portfolio after showing them they advised me to post my work on social media. After posting on socials, clients mostly from Elliotdale approached me to design dresses for graduation and special events,” she said.

 

Her biggest achievements thus far are bagging clients from the UK and other countries.  She is working on different projects in the background and hopes to build an art hub for the Elliotdale community where young people could be inspired to create artwork. Bacela is also planning to build a physical store.

Before lockdown, she used to design dresses for children who come from disadvantaged families.