CPUT BTech Surface Design student was recognised as one of South Africa’s promising up-and-coming designers when she was awarded the first runner up prize for her throw design at the second annual House and Leisure Green Designers at Woolworths Competition.

House and Leisure magazine and Woolworths joined forces to sponsor this competition, which highlights ecofriendly design techniques across a variety of products.

For a seven-month period, House and Leisure featured the creations of students from various tertiary design institutions and the final products were displayed at their stand at the Design Indaba Expo that was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 26 to 28 February 2010.

On 25 February 2010, the winners were announced from a group of 10 finalists and Nandi’s was the only design selected from the throw category.

Students from seven different design schools were given the task of taking green prototypes from conceptualisation to creation and also to source appropriate manufacturers to help them create their products.

Nandi, who hails from the Eastern Cape town of Cofimvaba heard about the competition last year from her lecturer, Elna Lubbe, who used the competition as a third year class assignment.

The CPUT students were mentored by Melissa Kerkhoff, owner of Lula Fabrics.

Seeing this rare opportunity, Nandi said she decided to apply her mind and focus on her love of textiles in this project, which took several months to complete.

When asked what inspired her original handmade design, she said: “I took my cultural roots into consideration and researched the design techniques of the Xhosa people”.

Using the smocking sewing technique, she interpreted geometric diamond shape, typically found in Xhosa clothing and jewellery to create her throw made from an undyed cotton blend fabric.

The colours of the threads used in the throw also have a symbolic meaning of growth (green), wealth (red) and maturity (yellow) in the Xhosa tradition.

Nandi shared that she is passionate about recycling and using natural products.

“I am very conscious of the effect that manufacturing has on the environment, so I want to focus on creating functional designs that are reusable,” said Nandi.

Along with the other top three winners, Nandi walked away with an Apple MacBook computer, a R1000 Woolworths gift voucher and will have her throw manufactured and sold at selected Woolworths stores throughout the country.

Currently, Nandi is participating in a three-month internship programme at Woolworths Homeware Department, where she is mentored on several design projects by Paul Duncan (head of homeware) and Lynne Harris.

She completes the programme in April and is also working on manufacturing her product through a community-based organisation, Learn to Earn in Khayelitsha, which teaches skills that unemployed people can use to create a small business.

Her BTech thesis research topic will focus on designing homeware products inspired by Cubism from recycled wood.

By Thando J. Moiloa

Photograph (left) An elated achiever, Nolwazi Nandi, BTech Surface Design student at CPUT (right) The prize-winning throw design, inspired by the indigenous Xhosa design style

Written by CPUT News
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Surface Design student, Christel Stipp along with Grandmothers Against Poverty and AIDS recently showcased their range of women’s accessories at an exhibition held in August on the Cape Town campus.

The exhibition was the culmination of Stipp’s Mtech practice-based research project.

Stipp is the first CPUT MTech surface design student to complete a practice-based research project, which consist of a dissertation and a practical. Students usually opt for the dissertation route.

However, Stipp said she was up for a challenge and opted for the creative route.

Her project aimed at equipping the elderly with surface design skills in order to empower them to create an accessory range.

She approached the Grandmothers Against Poverty and AIDS community group that is based in Khayelitsha.

Stipp started work on the project in 2006 and held various creative and skills- based workshops with the women.

Many of the women were already skilled in crochet and other handwork techniques and were able to incorporate this into Stipp’s project.

“After the workshops we went on to create the accessory range which included handbags, ponchos, scarfs and belts,” said Stipp.

“We worked with a wide variety of materials. This included wools, leather and craft-wire. The majority of materials were sourced from South Africa and Namibia,” she said.

The various accessories will be marketed and the public will be able to place orders. The accessories will be produced by the women who will benefit from the sales.

Mama Gold, one of the members of the group thanked Stipp for the positive impact that the research project had on the grandmothers’ lives. She said they gained valuable skills.

Co-ordinator of the MTech Fashion and Surface Design Programme, Alettia Chisin said: “As an educator I was deeply grateful for having had the opportunity to supervise a project of this nature, which was from the start a co-operative and reciprocal exchange of knowledge and ideas amongst all the participants.”

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
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Thousands of heads across the country will be adorned with the creation of CPUT Surface Design student Melinda Van Der Merwe soon.

Each year the Sunflower Fund runs a competition with design schools across the country to create the design for National Bandana Day.

This year CPUT won first and third place in the hotly contested competition. Melinda scored the top spot with her vivid green and yellow creation while Suzanne Swanepoel scored third place.

Surface Design lecturer Micah Chisholm says the key to both designs was simplicity.

“This time round the second-year students only had a week to complete their designs which means they worked instinctively and didn’t complicate it,” he says.

Melinda says her design was inspired by the strength that comes from unity.

“Around every cancer patient there is a support network and my design symbolises this,” she says.

Melinda’s bandana will go into production for the 2015 National Bandana Day on October 12.

The Sunflower Fund does critical work recruiting bone marrow donors for diseases like leukaemia and other blood disorders. A bone marrow test costs R2000 and National Bandanna Day is a key fundraising initiative for the organisation.

Apart from the pride of seeing her design go into production Melinda won a R5000 Pick n Pay voucher and Suzanne won one worth R2000.

Written by Lauren Kansley
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Liaises with the media and writes press releases about interesting developments at CPUT.