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PLUMSTEAD| DIEP RIVER
Local shines away
People’s Post
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TIYESE JERANJI @jeranji
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tarting off her business in her bedroom, little did a Plumstead resident know that one day she would be showcasing her designs on the London runway. Curve-friendly designer Mel Brookes (37) left for London Fashion Week yesterday (Monday 12 February) and will be showing her designs on Saturday 17 February. She is expected to be back in the country in the first few days of March. Brookes is a mother of two and is originally from Bridgetown. She now stays in Plumstead and has a design studio in Diep River. She says she’s incredibly excited to showcase at London Fashion Week, as being internationally recognised for her work has always been her dream. “It’s been a huge honour. I feel very blessed for this opportunity. To be chosen from a group of so many talented designers is one of the biggest moments of my career thus far. It’s funny that I have never done a show in South Africa, and to get this opportunity overseas is really amazing,” she says. Fresh out of high school, Brookes studied psychology for a year before moving to Ireland where she worked in the retail industry for five years. Visual merchandising and putting colours together to create a story was something that deeply excited her during her international stay. Armed with inspiration and experience, she headed back to South Africa to study fashion design at the Design Academy of Fashion. This is where her passion for fashion began and she has been doing this for the past nine years. The idea became even stronger after she had her son at the age of 26. “I had to decide between beauty and fashion. After giving birth I couldn’t get something that really fitted the way I wanted. It was so distressing to go into a shop and the only thing you got were straight clothes. I thought, why not make my own clothes that will accommodate my curves and also do something for other women? I was passionate about this because when you feel good in your clothes you feel confident and empowered and so my brand was born,” she says. Brookes adds that the story of her designs is a personal one and that is why she has such a
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Camillo keys in Drifters
PAGE 8 Mel Brookes getting ready for the show. close relationship with her clients. “There have been people that have supported me since I started. They used to come to my bedroom where I worked and I believe from that we become so connected. I have grown from there and am ready for the next step,” she says. Brookes prides herself in designs that are curve friendly and comfortably chic – everyday clothing for women who want to look and feel amazing, yet comfortable. In keeping with the inclusivity of the Mel Brookes brand, Madeline
Stuart will be walking in her show. Stuart is a worldwide phenomenon – a powerful advocate for inclusiveness and diversity in modelling. She is recognised as the world’s first professional model with Down syndrome. Despite being in business for so long, Brookes is yet to launch her business officially. The official launch will take place when Brookes returns from London. VTo see more of Brookes’s designs, visit Indhi Design on Facebook
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