Esprit, the drink best known for the freshest flavour combos, is excited to continue working with Fezile Fashion Skills Academy and share their latest fashion pieces with you. “Everything we wear should include a bit of us. Your aesthetic should say who you are and where you come from.”, says Fezile Mdletshe, founder of Fezile Fashion Skills Academy (FFSA). Just like Esprit is built around owning your unique flavour, Mdletshe and her academy is about owning what makes us different – as individuals, and as a nation. That’s why FFSA is dedicated to creating local fashion that reflects who we are as South Africans.

Mdletshe believes, “Sustainability in fashion goes beyond eco-friendly textiles and recycling, it’s about people, skills and development.” So, last year, we supported 40 fashion designers, through funding their studies and contributing to a sustainable local fashion industry.

“This year, we’ll keep bringing the freshest fashion combos by giving ordinary South Africans a chance to make their own proudly South African fashion pieces. Drawing inspiration from the future of fashion and three FFSA students, who each brought their unique style and Mzansi-flair, we created three limited edition tote bags. Not just an ordinary tote bag though, one that can also become a bucket hat, and an irreversible one at that! Because as South Africans, we have our own kind of flavour, and lots of it! We need fashion that let us #ServeUmswenko.” Says Nontsikelelo Gumede, Esprit’s Brand Manager.