Despite having no formal education as a fashion designer, Natanya Smith (23), from Kariega has remained dedicated to her passion for designing clothing for young girls and women and now plans to host her first fashion show which she hopes will inspire many others in her community.
Smith who is the founder of By Grace clothing brand, which was established in December last year, said from a young age she was absolutely in love with fashion which eventually inspired her own, unique fashion sense.
After struggling for quite some time to find the unique clothing pieces that she had envisioned at various clothing stores, she decided to establish her own business.
Even though she did not have any formal training as a fashion designer, Smith was fortunate enough to have a talent for designing and began bringing to life all her fashionable clothing through her clothing brand.
Although she initially established her clothing brand owing to her own frustration when she could not find the clothing she liked, she quickly realized that other women might have experienced similar frustrations.
“The vision of my clothing brand is to make women feel comfortable, beautiful, and special in my clothing,” said Smith.
“I want women to love their bodies completely when wearing one of my outfits.”
Smith who is currently studying towards her Honours Degree in Social Work at Nelson Mandela University, said the quality of her clothing was unique as it was all her own ideas, and the material of the clothing was soft and comfortable.
“My biggest inspiration is becoming successful while doing what I love which is creating clothing. My mission is to work hard so that one day my clothing becomes one of the most successful clothing brands,” she said.
After much work and dedication, Smith plans to host her first fashion show on June 19, which will allow the public to view her new winter range under the theme ‘Elegance in winter’.
Her clothing is suitable for girls as young as three months old and women aged between 26 and 50.
With her determination to be a successful fashion designer and now finally hosting her first fashion show, Smith hopes to inspire young people in her community to follow their dreams.
“I am extremely proud of what I have achieved thus far, and I hope to inspire others to believe that if I can do it they can do it too,” said Smith.
“I believe that whatever your mind can conceive and believe, you can have.”
The fashion show will start at 17:00 and will take place at Bella’s Restaurant 7 Thorn Street, Mosel, Kariega. Tickets for the show are R50 per person and refreshments will be on sale.
- For more information or to purchase a ticket contact Shirley Smith on 081 747 4365 or WhatsApp Marion Roman on 067 724 9814.
