Introducing Enhle Gebashe, one of South Africa's talented young fashion designers
I met Enhle Gebashe in 2019 when she was part of the Stylin’ Creative Conquerors. We were exploring the city of Johannesburg with other creatives in the art, music and fashion industry.
I was fascinated by the fact that, at the age of eleven, she had already established a fashion brand. That same year, she won the My Little Darling Award from Darling Hair.
The following year, she won the Young Entrepreneur Award from the Charlotte Manya Maxeke Institute, followed by Durban Emerging Designer at the Durban Fashion Fair Recognition Awards in 2021.
Four years since our first meet up, she has grown so much, becoming one of the best children's wear brand in South Africa.
Gebashe has showcased at Durban Fashion Fair since 2021, GlamZGala (Vancouver) in June, Fashion Without Borders (Sandton) 2023, New York Fashion Week in September and Fashion Without Borders (Botswana) in October.
In November, the founder of Enhle Babes Couture made her Soweto Fashion Week debut, showcasing a vibrant spring/summer 23/24 collection.
“My first showcase experience with Soweto Fashion Week was amazing! I decided to showcase my collection that will be available at Edgars for December holidays. I had models travel as far as Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga, and that was a blessing to me,” said the multi-award winning designer.
On her partnership with Edgars, Gebashe said she was scouted by the retailer’s fashion buyer Trevor Ntombela after he saw her at the DFF showcase in 2022.
“My current collection at Edgars is more wearable, fun, colourful and smart casual yet stylish. I have created a more affordable and day-to-day wearable collection after struggling to sell my first couture collection,” she explained.
As a young designer, Gebashe has faced many challenges, including bullying, people wanting to steal her brand and those who complained about pricing. But thanks to her momager, Desiree, she’s survived and thrived.
And with her mother’s support and having created a solid clientele, Gebashe has taken big strides this year.
She was recently nominated for Childswear Designer of the Year at the Fashion Industry Awards South Africa. Although she didn’t get the award, the nomination was a win because it means she’s on the right path.
“My biggest career highlight is my recent FIASA nomination. The nomination was relevant and motivating for me, I was ecstatic. My other highlights are my three international showcases, first with a kiddies focused platform, GlamZGala in Vancouver in June this year, showcasing at New York Fashion Week in September this year, and my Botswana showcase with Fashion Without Borders in October this year.
“Not to forget being signed under Boss Models in Durban at age thirteen, signing under Littlecharmers in Joburg, and landing my first TV commercial ad,” added Gebashe.
As much as she is doing well in fashion, Gebashe, with the help of her mother, is juggling being a student and a teenage business owner.
“I have mastered the art of balancing school and my business by focusing on my school work first and transferring my art knowledge to my brand.
“When I'm not doing school work, I'm working on my brand. This way, I'm able to excel in both. Juggling both has become easier over the years,” she said.
“I want to encourage every young artist to put school first while focusing on their craft. Also, patience is a virtue if you are an artist, so I encourage artists to practice patience.”
Now that she’s unlocked international spaces, Gebashe wants to see Enhle Babes Couture being worn by children across the globe, as she already has international celebrity kids interested in working with her brand in 2024.
The young designer will also be working on “Fashion Icons”, a platform where she’ll be interviewing icons in the industry about their journeys in fashion.
“It is close to my heart because it's my way of learning from the fashion icons who have been in the industry longer than me. And I'm excited to finally complete my school uniform project with my brand ambassadors," she said.