DUT Student Randeree Wins Best Commercial Range For Her Modest Collection 2024
Randeree Wins Best Commercial Range For Her Modest Collection
Being a young Muslim woman who showcased her range of modest wear earned DUT’s Fashion Design and Textile student, Aaliya Randeree, the title of the‘Most Commercial Range Award’. Randeree showcased her impressive and unique designs at the annual fashion show which was held at the Fred Crookes Sports Centre, recently.
The aim of the annual event was to give students a platform to showcase their interpretation of their exciting garments under the theme of “False Gods”.
Coming from a fashion background, with her father in the fashion industry, it did help Randeree in deciding to study fashion design. She could see exactly what she was getting herself into and although it is a competitive industry that is very fast paced, the excitement was an appealing factor to her.
Randeree was definitely very surprised when she had won the award. She had never expected it at all. “It definitely made all the hard work, hours of sewing and lots of tears worth it. After seeing my collection on the runway and getting a great response from people who watched the show, it made me very excited for the future,” she said excitedly.
For Randeree, with the theme of “False Gods in mind she chose a prominent blogger Ascia AKF because she has millions of followers on social media, but she isn’t really famous for anything important. “All these people follow her, just because of her fashion sense and her lifestyle and to me that was a false god. Ascia AKF is a modest blogger as well and that is also why I had decided to choose her as I wanted to do a modest wear range with lots of brown blends, kaftan-styled dresses with lots of prints and embellishments,” she said.
According to Randeree, modest wear is a fairly new concept in South Africa as not many South African brands have integrated modest wear into their collections. She added that overseas, with the boom of modest bloggers, many brands have brought out modest wear collections to the ramps. “As young Muslim women we are always trying to adapt out clothing in order for it to be modest, whether it means layering or even having to get the clothing made. I think it’s about time that designers and retailers start incorporating modest clothing. This is why I decided to base my collection around modesty,” she said.
Her designs depict that contemporary modesty is all about being able to be fashionable and stylish while still being covered up. Just because one has to cover one’s body, it does not mean one’s clothing choices has to be drab or boring. Through her collection she hoped to show women that she can still be modest, yet look fashionable.
“My collection took the entire year to be completed. It’s a long process to go through, with researching current trends and choosing the correct fabric as well as ensuring that the entire collection looks coherent. But the actual sewing of the range took about three months, but it felt like three years,” she chuckled.
Her biggest challenge she faced throughout this year was just staying motivated. At times it was hard for her to stay focused and passionate about her range when she saw all the amazing work from other students. There were times Randeree said she also became bored with her range.
Her advice to future fashion students is to be passionate about what they are making. “At the end of the day each piece of clothing that you make you are giving a little piece of yourself. When you are passionate about what you are making, it makes everything a lot easier and more bearable. I definitely want to start my own business and be my own boss. In South Africa, there is a definite need for plus-size clothing and modest wear and I hope I can satisfy that need with my clothing range,” she added.
Pictured: Models showcasing Aaliya Randeree’s modest wear range.