A fashion designer with no formal training, who creates innovative designs using biodegradable waste, Funeka Shabalala hopes to become a registered nurse and a sustainable fashion designer in the future.

Shabalala, a first-year Bachelor of Nursing student at UKZN, has won the Sustainable Fashion Designer of the Year title at the national Green Campus Initiative (GCI), against more than 300 students and 120 staff members representing 21 universities from across the country.

A self-taught fashion designer, Shabalala specialises in creating innovative designs from used shopping bags, paper, and plastic, all of which are biodegradable.

“My fellow House Committee members encouraged me to enter and create garments because they saw the potential and creativity I possessed,” Shabalala said.

“To be recognised as the top designer among students representing universities from across the country was something I never imagined, and I feel incredibly honoured, grateful, and genuinely overwhelmed,” Shabalala said.

Also read: From waste to art

The 21-year-old, who hails from uMnambithi, aspires to become a registered nurse while also building a career sustainably.

“Both these fields have strengthened qualities in me such as discipline, attention to detail, problem-solving, compassion, and resilience.

“These qualities have shaped the way I approach fashion design and remind me that both nursing and sustainable fashion are about improving lives and making a positive impact,” Shabalala said.

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