With music and fashion being undeniably intertwined, the Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) aim to continue fusing fashion into the biggest entertainment stage in the country as a sign of how important a role the two play in the arts and cultural space of Namibia.
‘If music be the food of love…’ said once upon time by William Shakespeare, then style should be a way to say who you are without having to speak. In fact, it is a fact that where there is music flowing freely and in abundance, style is no further than just a few steps away.
For the past five years, the NAMAs have remained dedicated to the growth and promotion of creatives in the music industry by nurturing, fine tuning, rewarding skills and providing musicians/artists/producers with a solid platform to achieve their goals.
‘It is within the same vision that the NAMAs primarily centered on providing fashion designers a platform to display their artistic talents,’ said Tim Ekandjo, executive chairman of the NAMAs. ‘It is about creative opportunities for our seamstresses who can cut their teeth in any of the revered fashion houses globally. We also believe that allowing the designers, seamstresses and stylists opportunities to present their work can open doors that facilitates commercial trading of their talents through their work.’
With this in mind, the team of creatives behind the look of the NAMAs hosts and presenters were carefuly picked to make this year’s event more glamorous than ever.
The talented team consists of: Hannah Nangula Kolokwe, a make up artist with a diverse strain of clients who has a career in professional make up spanning over six years and has amassed a portfolio range that includes bridal and wedding parties, editorial, print, special occasions and photo shoots.
Melisa Poulton studied at the Cape Academy of Fashion and Designs in Cape Town, South Africa. She describes her design style as unique ‘with a very bold and strong touch’ and adds that her designs are inspired by her motto ‘freedom, strength and independence’.
‘My garments are different sort of collections, each its own concept. I want to show the public that I can do any type of garment, and that is not just about creating one collection but you have diversity, being able to style yourself and placing good clothing pieces together,’ said Melisa.
Helena Hangula was born in Ohakweenyanga. She’s a conscientious fashion fundi who has travelled the globe showcasing her talents in places such as France and England. She is currently employed as a fashion lecturer at the College of the Arts and is a recent graduate from the University of Namibia (Unam).
Nicolene Menjono is Swakopmund born and raised. Her love for fashion was ignited by her grandmother whom she describes as a great seamstress. In 2009, Nicolene burst onto the fashion scene when she was part of the Young Designers Fashion show hosted by Pambili Young Designers. She also boasts the enviable feat of having been mentored by Namibia’s fashion designer of note Melanie Harteveld Becker which proved to be instrumental in the rise of her brand Damage.
Metha Pewa Uushona is the owner of the fashion brand Proud Designs which was established in 2013 as a visual art project at Unam. The brand has since grown into a full time fashion design company that caters for ready to wear garments and occasional attire.
Merino Kandji is one of the few male hairdressers in Windhoek and attends to the styling needs of his customers with ease and flair. Born and raised in Windhoek, he discovered his love for hair after finishing high school and working for a salon. Now the owner of the Gossip Salon, he strives for quality output as he has been doing for the past 11 years.
Ruberto Scholtz grew up in the small mining town of Arandis. His foray in the fashion industry started in 2013 shortly after starting his fashion studies at the College of the Arts.
He has since been enjoying immense attention with his bold, fashion forward creations.
Nangula Nanyemba is a make up artist and an architect in training. Her passion for make up started through watching YouTube tutorials. Her friends would ask her to do their make up all the time and the rest, as they say, is history Albertina AshisheOshange Ndishishi is a sociology graduate from Unam. She’s the founder of Virgin Hair Boutique, a retail and wholesale supply chain store. A beauty enthusiast and a serial entrepreneur, she lives by the motto ‘the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams’.
NAMAs Committee
