Unlike many little girls, Pumeza Mekuto never dreamt about becoming a fashion designer. In fact, she started out in agriculture - saying it was her mother who pushed her into studying fashion design. "My mom is a dressmaker; my granny was a dressmaker; so it's in our blood," she explains. "My mom said I could stitch and draw, so she enrolled me in a private college to study Italian design."

Pumi, as she's otherwise known, followed this up with a design degree from the Peninsula Technikon (now the Cape Peninsula University of Technology) in the Western Cape, excited to start making a career - and name - for herself in the fashion world three years later.

"I found out it's really challenging to find work in this industry - even with a qualification. I tried to attach myself to different companies to learn things like quality control just to have something to do," says Pumi, who eventually secured a job as junior patternmaker for Bibette Clothing (a Woolworths' supplier) after a year of searching.

Less than two years later, Pumi was promoted to senior patternmaker - and from there got the chance to put her stamp on the clothes we wear. "I moved on to designing items for the Truworth's OBR brand as a designer at one of their suppliers, Bonwit Clothing," says the small-town girl from King Williams Town in the Eastern Cape.

Looking back, Pumi says designing for Truworths was an accelerated learning experience: "Everything happens so quickly: you'd see a garment from overseas, come up with local options - mostly for the black market - design something new every week, and within three weeks, your designed garment would be manufactured!"

And it's this speed; skill and sensitivity to women's silhouettes that's given Pumi her edge. "With black women you need different cut lines and finishes. For example, you wouldn't given them a waistband with belt; you need to use 'facing' (a layer of fabric attached to the inside of a garment) to accommodate their hips."

Not happy with just designing, Pumi decided to try her hand at buying - admitting she was a little naive about just what goes into the various jobs in this industry.

"I found out quickly that buying is more about numbers than creativity. You have to negotiate prices, chase sales... The plus side is you get to learn how to build a 'range' so you can see how you'd like your own store or collection to look like one day."

And dealing closely with the Woolies' classic range, Pumi saw a gap to inject her own ethnic-inspired women's range. "We called it Suga-Suga - the Pantsula word for ladies."

Seeing the success of Suga-Suga, Pumi decided to launch a label of her own: "The name, Black Coal, was inspired by a friend: she seems hard and cold on the outside, but is a really warm person on the inside," says the designer with a penchant for Prada. And, with the support of Woolworths, Technology Station in Clothing and Textile (supported by Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and CTFC (Cape Town Fashion Council), Pumi showed her 2nd collection at the AFI Cape Town Fashion Week last year - turning heads not just on the local, but on the international scene, too.

Early this year, 3 Suisses (the second largest online fashion company in France) joined up with the UNRIC (the United Nations Regional Information Centre in Europe) to invite five designers for their collection to commemorate International Women's Day - and Pumi made the cut.

"I created a feminine dress printed with ethnic patterning," says Pumi about her contribution to the collection to raise funds for UN Women.

As for her own business, Pumi is proud to finally have her own 'rail' at The Space clothing store Rosebank (The Zone), Gauteng. "I'd approached them for a year, and was about to give up, when they came back to me - out of the blue," she says. "From November, you'll be able to get hold of my denim jumpsuits, print summer dresses, linen jumpsuits and more," she beams.

And it doesn't stop there. Pumi's label will also soon be available in Poetry Clothing (Cape Union Mart sub-brand), bringing the Black Coal clothing label to even more women - from a woman who still refuses to wear her own creations.

"Get creative in the way you get support - because you'll need support! One of the best things I did was get business students to create a financial plan, business plan and bookkeeping system for me. They also wrote the business letter I used to help get me the contract with Poetry!" says Pumi.

She approached the EESA programme: an entrepreneurship course in which students mentor entrepreneurs. For more info, visit www.sun.ac.za/eesa.

"The Technology Station for Clothing and Textile also provided me with mentorship and garment production advice," she adds. For more info, call their Industry Liaison Officer on 021 959 6075 or visit their website.

Article courtesy of msn.co.za.
Article published: 11 January 2011