Yamkela Mahlelehlehle bags her first retail collection with giant brand
|Published
South African designer Yamkela Mahlelehlehle just got a big break – she has launched her first retail collection with giant retailer Pick n Pay Clothing.
Hailing from the small town, Ngqushwa, in the Eastern Cape, Mahlelehlehle is the first designer to partner with Pick n Pay Clothing in its Futurewear incubator programme for 2024.
Futurewear is a programme dedicated to nurturing emerging fashion talent. It aims to launch the next generation of superstar designers by helping them create commercially viable, exclusive collections for the retailer.
The programme also ensures customers have access to affordable, on-trend and locally designed pieces.
Mahlelehlehle, who owns Kolours of the Reignbow (KOTR), said the collaboration was dear to her because it was a continuation of the work she had been doing over the years.
“This collaboration will change or propel me closer to my goals. It’s given me more visibility and taught me the business side of fashion, which I’m very grateful for.
“We are going to be working on a bigger scale, which means more opportunities. It means responding more within myself and how to elevate the brand. We are trying to create something new, challenge ourselves, be brave and look into the international space and tap into it.
“It’s world-changing, it’s affirming and I’m excited about what’s coming. This collection is the key to opening many doors for us,” she said.
The limited edition collection, available at 40 Pick n Pay Clothing stores nationwide, is an ode to women and launching it just before Women’s Month ends was intentional.
“The concept behind this collection is paying homage to women in the past who fought and persevered for today’s women to have their voices heard.
“I pay homage to Saartjie Baartman, to Bessie Coleman, the first black female pilot, and CJ Walker; the women who stood the test of time, stood their ground and fought for what was theirs,” said the 27-year-old designer.
“I also show appreciation to women of today who are doing great, pioneering and opening doors for us, the likes of your Lulama Wolf and Tony Gum, the people who are doing well in their careers.
“And all these people … show the black girl child that anything is possible; your destiny is not determined by your environment.”
Colour means a lot when making clothes because it speaks volumes. For Mahlelehlehle, making red the dominant colour of the collection meant leaving a remarkable statement about the power of women.
“If you look closely, I abstract female bodies. Red is a powerful colour. To me, it is associated with power, so it’s celebrating women’s gentleness, softness as well as strength.
“It’s a message to every woman other there telling them they are appreciated, loved and seen,” Mahlelehlehle said.
Her fashion journey has been interesting. Growing up in a small town, she was fond of fashion but never considered it a career. At one point, she turned her mom’s bra into a handbag, and when she was in matric, she opted for a sewing machine over attending matric dance.
“I’ve always had the knack for design. Where I come from, design was not prominent. I didn’t classify it as design per se – it was just me interacting with the world in a way. I’ve always been that kid who cuts up something to make something else,” she said.
“I’ve always been this person who dressed differently and had different hair. When I was still in the Eastern Cape, many people would be like: ‘Yamkela, you are this and that.’ I didn’t see that; it was just a way of self-expression.
“Then I came to Cape Town and that’s when I could see that there were people like me. It was a domino effect for me moving to Cape Town and then finding that in the city, it’s more accessible to pursue a career, and I immersed myself into the creative industry quite early.”
Mahlelehlehle started selling vintage clothes to tap into the market and hopes that more creatives get assistance, especially the funding they need to create and grow within the creative space.
Futurewear, now in its fifth year, was conceptualised by Pick n Pay Clothing executive Hazel Pillay and renowned designer Gavin Rajah to support designers and give them a platform to commercialise their creativity.