Introducing See-Now-Buy-Now by NWSD and iWearNWSD

There is always a first time for everything and at North West School of Design we make sure we are the first to try new things! This year at the Platinum Fashion Festival we are introducing the collaboration with students and iWearNWSD , see-now-buy-now. To understand how amazing this project is you need to understand from where it has grown.

First we introduced the Platinum Fashion Festival. This brainchild was evolved from our traditional graduation fashion show into the fashion event that contributes to the community and the local economy while promoting students on a professional platform. Principal Marlene Oosthuizen uses local organizations and companies that have become part of the NWSD family over the years to make the fashion show a success.  Here with we create a event where the community can comfortably partake in. NOT another Fashion Week

This was something that we greatly avoided. We wanted real people, real models, real fashion, we wanted a real Fashion Festival that the whole family could enjoy. At the Platinum Fashion Festival we give students the opportunity to showcase their collections to the media, buyers, friends and families. Students develop collections  on market and trend research as well as a realistic industry related conceptualizing processes.

From the Platinum Fashion Festival, we wanted to create a platform where students can sell their garments to the public. IWearNWSD is the first online shop in South Africa started by a tertiary education institution that offers quality clothing shopping from the comfort of your own home. The North West School of Design has created this retail platform for its students who showcase their collections at the annual Platinum Fashion Festival. North West School of Design Alumni can also benefit from IWearNWSD as a cosignatory retail platform. IWearNWSD  promotes these talented emerging designers.

For this year at the Platinum Fashion Festival we decided to have the students garments ready on iWearNWSD for the public to buy live from the runway. See-Now-Buy-Now! If you like what you see you go online and shop right there! It will be easy accessible and you can shop by designer name or collection name. 

 Book Now!

Platinum Fashion Festival Event Page

Hair Marathon

1st Year Installation

3rd Years Buyers Collections

2nd Year Couture Collections

Shop Now on iWearNWSD

Learn more about North West School of Design

Platinum Fashion Festival

Why Choose NWSD?

Why Choose NWSD

Article in Klerksdorp Record 17 June 2016

Written by Kalib Monroe

North West School of design has a reputation for setting new standards within the fashion education system and the fashion industry. As a Proudly Klerksdorp educational institution NWSD has more than just one reason why students from all over South Africa choose to relocate to Klerksdorp their fashion dreams. NWSD is the first college in SA to offer the highest qualification in fashion. As an International Fashion college, accredited by City & Guilds, NWSD now offers the Licentiateship in fashion.

 NWSD is also the first fashion college in SA to start its own online store, whereby the public can buy designer clothing at affordable prices. With merchandise of well-established NWSD Alumni, fashion students and emerging designers, the online store also serves as a retail platform for fashion buying students to obtain experience in inventory control, quality control, pricing, styling, fashion PR and brand journalism. NWSD offers a choice in Fashion Education. Students can complete a course in either Fashion design or Fashion Communication & Buying.

 Both these courses lead to the Licentiateship in fashion. NWSD was the first college in South Africa to pilot a Fashion Buying & Communication course. NWSD again leads the way to in fashion education as the first  SA fashion College to merge contact learning and teaching with an integrated online learning system. NWSD's Alumni are the institutions greatest success story.Some of NWSD's Alumni includes Gert Johan Coetzee, Anel Botha, Kobus Rautenbach, Jose' De Chana and many independent designers, buyers and merchandisers, as well as fashion consultants and fashion journalists and stylists.

 NWSD has recently hosted their 16th annual graduation fashion show, newly named as the Platinum Fashion Festival. This sold out event testifies of great community support as well as media and industry support. 

But don't make the mistake of thinking NWSD is all glitz and glam. Students develop a culture of productivity and they soon adopt the creed of work hard and play hard. NWSD is more than a fashion college that gives you a high qualification, it's a unity. NWSD teaches so much more than just fashion. Each day within the classroom day to day issues are tackled and learned from. Choosing NWD won't just leave you with a skill, it will the bring the best out of you.

IWearNWSD : Fashion flair from our runway to your closet

IWearNWSD : Fashion flair from our runway to your closet

Where Garments walk directly from the runway into the online store

IWearNWSD is the first online shop in South Africa started by a tertiary education institution that offers quality clothing shopping from the comfort of your own home. The North West School Of Design has created this retail platform for it's students who showcase their collections at the annual Platinum Fashion Festival. North West School Of Design Alumni can also benefit from Iwear NWSD as a cosignatory retail platform.

IWearNWSD already gives design students of this prestigious college a toe in the pool as it promotes these talented emerging designers, Not only does it promote current fashion design students, but also its Alumni as established or emerging fashion brands. With Collections from well known NWSS Alumni Such as Anel Botha and Kobus Rautenbach, this online store promises to be a chiffarobe that will even have the stars at it's doorstep.

This store's mission and objectives walks hand in hand with the college's mission and objectives. North West School Of Design has as its mission to be a college for Christian Tertiary Education that shows distinction and excellence, striving towards and piloting fashion training in South Africa and neighboring countries, IWearNWSD aligns well with these objectives, being the first of it's kind in fashion training.

  iWear NWSD is an online store planned, managed and administrated by North West School of Design Fashion Communication & Buying Students.  iWearNwsd therefore creates an ongoing realistic, fashion related  project to enable

Fashion-Comm students with the necessary tools and experience for their Licentiateship In Fashion exam and for relevant industry experience. Fashion-Comm students will get to use profits made through sales, to fund their vocational tours and research.

The Platinum Fashion Festival hosted by the North West School Of Design, has as it's initial goal, to turn thius fashion college's annual graduation fashion show into an official fashion event with the aim of bringing together the North West's Leading Influencers , designers, and fashion followers, in style and extravagance. The Platinum Fashion Festival provides A Platform for creative designers to showcase their talent, boost their confidence, and develop collections that were developed on market and trend research as well as a realistic industry related conceptualising processes. Student designers are able to make industry contacts and to network with South African Fashion Leaders, Buyers and Media. Garments showcased at this show will directly walk from the runway into the online store.

Behind the scenes of the Platinum Fashion Festival, design students are fitting and altering garments, ready for their big debut. Models queue up to get their hair and make-up done, moving stylishly to the dressing rooms. A s a buzz stirs up outside, students start to dress the models in evening couture, ready to wear collections and Avant Garde creations.

  

I WearNWSD also has a behind the scenes moment or two of it's own. From the surveys sent out to various people to decide the perfect name for the store, to the stylist lying on the floor to flare a dress out on the mannequin while the photographer searches for the perfect angle. Passion and authenticity is what lies behind IWearNWSD along with Hard Work, perseverance, and diligence. The Public only see the final garment on the runway, but few know about the hard work and dedication that goes into a design. That is why IWearNWSD will be producing quality garments, friendly service and customer satisfaction for every shopper out there.

All Garments sold on IWearNWSD have been developed with the award winning X!act Design Patternmaker