Inez Shaw from Kenilworth has won the City of Cape Town’s second annual Wear the Hope Design and Make Challenge, which invites residents to create garments interpreting the Festive Lights Switch-On theme. Her winning entry, a community-made crochet vest, brought together squares contributed by friends, family and community members.

Called Masikhuthazane, meaning “Let us encourage one another”, the design was selected as the winning interpretation of this year’s theme, Beacon of Hope. Shaw’s red-on-black sleeveless vest features brightly coloured crocheted squares, each with a floral centre in blue, white, yellow and green, framed and joined by red yarn, set against a solid black back, neckline and hem.

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A community effort

Shaw invited friends, family, students, staff, alumni and community members to contribute individually crocheted squares, using reclaimed and leftover yarn to give discarded materials renewed purpose.

“A beacon of hope can begin at home, with one person teaching another a stitch,” Shaw said. “With encouragement, that stitch becomes a skill, and that skill can offer hope for a brighter future.”

Her grandmother taught her to crochet when she was four years old. Masikhuthazane honours the traditional craft of crochet and the importance of passing skills from one generation to the next, inspired by her grandmother, her mother’s legacy and her connection to the Elizabeth Galloway Academy of Fashion.

“Masikhuthazane is about recognising that every contribution matters,” Shaw said. “Whether it’s a stitch, a skill, an idea or an act of kindness, we all have something to offer. Unity does not require sameness. When we bring our individual contributions together, we can create something extraordinary.”

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Judges’ verdict

Fashion designer and sustainable fashion advocate Cyril Naicker, one of two judges, said the entry stood out for the strength of its human story and its interpretation of Beacon of Hope.

“What resonates most is the bringing together of individual contributions into one garment, which gives tangible expression to belonging and shared purpose,” Naicker said. “Every contribution matters, and the finished piece becomes a powerful representation of what we can create together.”

Naicker also praised the design’s commitment to sustainability and the preservation of traditional skills, saying it demonstrates how materials can be valued and given renewed purpose while celebrating a traditional craft through teaching, learning and the sharing of skills.

Fellow judge, stylist and creative director Adele Williams, said the spirit of Beacon of Hope begins with the values people learn at home and carry into their communities. “Everything begins at home,” she said. “So it’s like a ripple effect.”

Williams, who has spoken about the lasting influence of her late father and the importance of passing kindness and respect between generations, sees these values as central to this year’s challenge theme.

From design to the mayor’s wardrobe

The finished garment will be presented to the mayor at the Festive Lights Switch-On Test Drive on 11 November, where it will be considered for the mayor’s festive appearance at the annual celebration.

As the winner, Shaw has nominated Molo Mhlaba, a Cape Town-based organisation that provides education for girls in underserved communities, to receive R5 000 worth of art supplies.

Festive Lights Switch-On 2026 will take place on 29 November at the Grand Parade from 16:00. It is a family-focused free event and all are welcome.

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