FEDISA Alumna Mary Kumwenda Wins AllFashion Sourcing Young Designer Competition

FEDISA is celebrating one of its own this week. Alumna Mary Kumwenda, who completed her BA in Fashion Design at FEDISA and graduated in 2025, has been named winner of the 2026 AllFashion Sourcing Young Designer Competition, announced at the Celebration of Fashion event held at the CTICC in Cape Town.

Celebrating its ninth anniversary in 2026, the Young Designer Competition, organised by Messe Frankfurt South Africa, has become one of the country's most respected platforms for emerging fashion talent. This year's finals were hosted live at the AllFashion Sourcing trade show at the CTICC on 15 July, where ten finalists showcased their designs on the runway in response to the 2026 theme, Circular by Design: Reuse. Repurpose. Recycle.

Mary's winning work stood out on a runway of the country's best young designers, blending structured denim with soft, voluminous whites in a look that felt both experimental and wearable. It is exactly the kind of fearless, considered design FEDISA strives to cultivate in its students.

The win comes with more than just a title. The competition offers prizes valued at over R270,000, with the winner receiving a R15,000 cash prize and a Legal Business Toolkit developed by legal practitioners at ENS valued at R250,000, giving Mary a serious foundation to launch her own label. Best of all, she has earned a coveted spot at next season's Future Talent show at The Week of Fashion South Africa, where she will present a collection on one of the country's biggest stages.

From the classrooms of FEDISA to the national runway, Mary's journey is a reminder of what South Africa's young creatives can achieve. We can't wait to see her next chapter unfold.

Congratulations, Mary. You've made us proud.