Talented Buffalo City Metro fashion technician and stylist Masimzukise Tase Jack is making waves in South Africa’s fashion scene.
Selected as the Most Stylish for showcasing a locally designed outfit out of over a hundred entries in the Local Fashion Police campaign hosted by Proudly South African, the Dimbaza-born couturier said he felt honoured.
The competition was hosted on Proudly SA’s social media pages, where contestants had to post pictures or videos of themselves wearing their favourite locally made items and use the hashtag provided.Jack won a R50,000 voucher to shop at Abaantu in Africa by Thandazani.
“As someone who is passionate about clothes and supporting creatives, this truly feels like a full-circle moment. Winning a prize for something I genuinely love is so special, and honestly, the feeling is incredible, and I’m so honoured. I also know that choosing to buy local helps create jobs and boosts our economy, which is so needed in South Africa.”
Jack told the Express that his passion for fashion started when he was just a young boy. “Because I was a boy, my grandmother would buy me cars and guns to play with, but I would create my own dolls and their clothes from nothing. It was then that I fell in love with creating fashion and accessories.”
His love for fashion and style has seen him travel to China to represent the Eastern Cape and learn clothing techniques, and to Jacksonville in the United States of America, where he attended the World of Nations Arts fair, gaining knowledge and skills. In 2018, he entered a design competition where fashion connoisseur Gert Johan Coetzee spotted his work and selected him to be one of his interns for a period of six months.
“To date, I have shared a stage with major brands in fashion such as David Tlale, Maxhosa, and Thula Sindi.”
“On 27 November, I’ll be walking the runway at the Local Fashion Police Finale, where I will officially receive my prize. This moment means everything to me,” he said.
Proudly South African leader and CEO Eustace Mashimbye explained that the Local Fashion Police campaign is about community. “It is about standing together to ensure that the future of the South African retail, clothing, textile, footwear and leather sector not only survives but thrives. It is a showcase of pure talent, creativity, and proudly South African flair.”
