Kentse Masilo
Kentse Masilo holds a Fashion Diploma from Tshwane University of Technology
Kentse Masilo is a young designer and a founder of the women’s fashion brand originally from Bethanie North West. Who has been patiently building her fashion brand with hopes that one day South Africans will learn to understand and appreciate great craftsmanship. Most fashion designers dedicate their lives to perfecting their craft with hopes of creating an environment that allows growth and a space for young individuals to practice and produce a quality only Africans can create. Her style of design has created iconic looks and has inspired fashion trends. Kentse Masilo’s design aesthetic is using methods of traditional tailoring infused with a futuristic approach to create timeless pieces that are versatile and suggest an effortless way of styling. The fashion industry in South Africa celebrates young designers however fashion is still a male dominated industry therefore female designers need more recognition.
In 2017, Kentse Masilo became a finalist in a Young Talent Search held by South African Fashion Week in Sandton, where she showcased her first Runway Collection to the public and in 2018, Kentse Masilo became the winner of the first-ever international Project Runway show in Africa thereafter exhibited her creations in 2019 at the Premier Classe Fashion Expo held in Paris and attended a Tresemme backstage programme at New York Fashion Week. Her work has been published in digital magazines such as Oak Magazine, Nounouche, Privadar, Glamour, Destiny, Elle magazine and has been featured in a fashion feature with Forbes Africa magazine.
After her showcase in Paris, Kentse Masilo interned at the Edcon Group’s retailer Edgars, in 2019. Where she had a collaboration with Edgars’ retail brand Kelso, which was made available for the customers nationwide. Not only is she a Fashion Designer, Kentse Masilo has made several partnerships with her brand growing, she became an ambassador for Bernette, a company that provides Swiss Design sewing machines and partnered with Asus to create a bag collection for one of their product lines.
Kentse Masilo has managed to build her business into owning a black-owned fashion house in Sandton that is built by women for women.
To give back, Kentse Masilo works with students from Walter Sisulu University providing talks on how to run a business and career development. Her studio annually provides internships to fashion students and provides mentorship for the winners of the young designer’s competition that takes place annually at her former high school in Hartbeespoort which in the past played a huge part in helping her discover her talent.