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DAF is proud to have been selected for this prestigious GUCCI fellowship amongst some of the top-ranked fashion schools in the world, including Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York, and Bunka Fashion College, Tokyo. More especially, we are honoured to represent the continent as the only school from the SADC region – a real coup for the future of local design and an accomplishment firmly aligned to our purpose to develop world-class talent!

Design Academy of Fashion
Students, Babalwa Wendy Dopi and Natheal Visagie, with Marco Bizzarri

Marco Bizzarri, President and CEO of GUCCI, announced that GUCCI will be partnering with Cape Town based Design Academy of Fashion (DAF) at the Condé Nast International Luxury Conference.

GUCCI Changemaker, Naomi Campbell, during a panel discussion with Suzy Menkes, Editor of Vogue International, shared how her relationship with Nelson Mandela inspired her drive for socio-cultural advocacy and philanthropy on the African continent.

Bizzarri, who visited DAF’s Woodstock campus, shared that GUCCI will be driving cultural diversity and inclusion after Suzy Menkes raised the sweater scandal from early February 2019. Campbell noted that this prompted GUCCI to be the first luxury brand to have fellowship and scholarship funds in Africa with the Design Academy of Fashion in Cape Town, Mcensal School of Fashion and Design in Nairobi, The University of Lagos and Radford University College of Ghana.

Every year, one 3rd-year graduate from DAF will be given the unique opportunity to intern at GUCCI’s design headquarters in Rome for a period of 12 months, on paid internship. Look out for our upcoming announcement of the Top 5 finalists who will be up for selection!

Design Academy of Fashion
Marco Bizzarri poses with (left to right) Nikki St. Quintin, Bianca Fobian, Suzanne Aldridge, Dr. Safia Salaam at Design Academy of Fashion, Cape Town.