BY PHUMELELE MKHONTA
MBABANE- Conquering international runways!
The world of fashion is known to be cutthroat and vicious which has consumes many, but Amanda Venter, a 33-year-old liSwati fashion designer has redefined the known notion.
Raised in Lugaganeni and now based at Homburg in Germany, Venter made a decision to conquer Europe fashion runways without fear.
The liSwati beauty with brains holds a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design from the University of Applied Sciences in Trier and she is also a proud St. Michael’s Primary alumni in Eswatini.
Eswatini Positive News (EPN) had the opportunity to get acquainted with her and inquire on how she is thriving in the fashion world!
EPN has learnt that you are a fashion designer in Germany. How did you venture into fashion design?
It all started with Casual Fridays at St. Michael’s Primary (Manzini). We would pay 50 cents to dress up in our on clothes and leave the uniform at home. I knew there and then that I had an extraordinary passion for fashion. I loved showing up dressed to kill. Every Friday I made it my job to make a fashion statement on what was in and trendy. In fact, I sometimes mixed clothes up and created a trend.
How is the Germany fashion world different from Eswatini fashion world?
I could say Eswatini has a great fashion sense. Social media has played a major role in that since now we are all connected. One can get inspired from someone abroad in real time. We no longer have to wait for the Vogue magazine to be published in order for us to see what trending in the fall of 2023. Times have changed. Eswatini only has one problem; there are a few fashion houses which mean ones individual expression of ones identity through clothing is limited. Most people drive to South Africa to purchase clothing which is a major economic blow on Eswatini, people also get their clothes tailored Eswatini to which I fully support, let’s keep supporting our local businesses and be creative doing it. The process of searching for an outfit that you like online and taking the picture to your local tailor, the fittings and fabric choosing is an experience everyone should have at least once in a life time pure bliss. Abroad we have had fast fashion for the longest time. What saddens me is that big fashion houses such as Primark, H&M, Networker to mention a few, are allegedly exploiting third world country to mass produce garments to be sold for charm change in Europe. Then after when the consumer has had enough of the clothing they dump them at a dumping container to which is to be sent back to Africa as rubbish. This is a serious problem with fashion consumption in Europe. However, we have also seen a great movement from upcoming designers and young fashionistas, more young people have joined the clean slow fashion movement. They no longer want to support business that thrives from child labour in India or Bangladesh. They’d rather pay more money for a garment from a local designer.
What have been your biggest highlights of being a fashion designer in Germany?
It’s the traveling, I’ve been to Vienna, Paris and also locally to other fashion metropolitan cities such as Düsseldorf, München and Berlin.
Please list some major fashion shows where you have showcased your work.
I’ve show cashed at the fashion week at Kuntsherz Museum in Saarbrücken near Paris, In Austria and I’ve had small show cases in small towns such as Blieskastel.
What is your design style/signature?
I suppose edgy, unisex and sometimes with a touch of Africa depending on the season and how I feel.
Who do you look up to in your world?
I don’t have one particular person I look up to but I am inspired by a lot of people depending on where I am in life and what I seek to learn from that particular person. To mention a few, Doctor Maya Angelou- I still look up to her even though she’s late. Her poems and wisdom lives on. Then there is Khulekani Msweli, another Fashion designer who has turned his creativity around to serve his community. I am learning a great deal from him as a liSwati in fashion. Then there are the ruthless and capitalism minded one, to which I also learn from such as the late Karl Lagerfeld who made billion in fashion he shows were the shows to be at in Paris when he passed on. We learned that his cat had inherited all his fortune, the lesson here was I don’t want to die selfish, should I one day accomplish everything that I dream of. I want to leave my fortune to my children and donate a percentage of my wealth.
What are your future aspirations?
I would love to open a fashion house in Eswatini, just to bridge the gap. Eswatini would be able to get hold of clothing directly made from Germany and thus playing my part in contributing to the Swazi economy, job employment- as most of us leave Africa and never return. It is time we returned and played our part in build our beautiful Kingdom.
