Staff Reporter
Windhoek
A glamorous and glittery music awards without a touch of fashion, style and fable and fab will surely prove a dead duck.
Not this year’s Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMAs), with some of the best designers and stylists ready to fine-tune the presentability of the presenters. The selected group of fashionistas is made up of six designers, complemented by three make-up artists and one hairstylist.
Music and fashion are both birthed by creativity and as Karl Lagerfeld says: music is part of the life of fashion and the close knit of music and fashion cannot be ignored.
Hence, the NAMAs’ platform is availed to young and talented Namibians to showcase their artistic designs and grow their careers. Below are we list this year’s designers, make-up artists and hairstylist.
DESIGNERS
Nicoleen Menjono
Born and raised in the dusty streets of the township of Mondesa in the coastal town of Swakopmund, Nicoleen was raised by her granny and could not stray from her design influence and soon fell for her granny’s passion for making clothing. She enrolled for the Clothing Production Programme at the Namibia Institute of Mining Technology (NIMT) and in 2009, burst onto the fashion scene when she exhibited her work at the Young Designers Fashion Show. Nicoleen has exhibited her stuff in various shows, such as ‘Himba in the Mix’.
Melisa Poulton
A young, vibrant fashion designer, she studied in Cape Town, South Africa for three years and returned to Namibia in 2011 to pursue her design career. Melisa has been in the industry since 2012 and bromoted her work under brand name ‘House of Poulton by Melisa Poulton’. Her design style is based on the elements of earth and her design style is based on the motto freedom, strength and independence.
Eneas Ngiponoka
A stylish man who is not selfish in sharing his passion and love of elegancy with others. He believes a man should be elegant with simplicity and that a man’s look and way of dressing should speak of, for and about him. Style, not just looks, is of essence. He grew up with a love and passion for style and always ensures he is amongst the most well dressed in the room. This led him to create ‘Signature’s Collection’. He is the chief sales consultant of Signature’s Collection Namibia.
Lumiere
The Lifestyle Avenue was established in February 2014. Shortly thereafter its first collection of handbags was in July 2014. The company is 100% Namibian owned and aims to grow and expand throughout Africa and prides itself as an African leader in fashion. The brand itself adopted an international name that would appeal to its target customers. Lumiere, meaning ‘light’ in French, is the brand’s way of saying that they want to cross borders and appeal to men and women who love fashion and trends. All products are branded with the specially designed Lumiere logo to add a refined touch to its products.
Ruberto Scholtz
A final-year fashion design major student from the coastal mining town of Arandis, he has an extensive and impeccable portfolio of breath-taking garments.
Ingo Shanyenge
A fashion designer based in Windhoek, Ingo has always been artistic since childhood but only in his final year at high school, when he designed their matric jackets, did he discover his passion for designing. In 2005 he started a T-shirt brand. The brand soon became popular among Namibians. He continued to produce T-shirts and hoodies while taking on different jobs to fund his work. He then went on to study fashion design and never looked back. His first showcase was at Brighton Fashion Week in England. He returned to Namibia in 2013 and set up his designer brand, called Ingo Shanyenge. Ingo has also showcased his stuff at Zimbabwe Fashion Week in 2014 and at Windhoek Fashion Week in 2016.
Makeup artists
Hannah Nangula-Kolokwe
A make-up artist with over eight years’ experience in the beauty therapy industry, she graduated from the College of the Arts with a diploma in fashion design, and furthered her knowledge and gained training in micro-blading and individual eyelash extensions. Hannah has become a household name in the beauty therapy industry. She shares her knowledge with aspiring make-up artists by tutoring them in her master classes that she hosts around the country. She is currently employed by the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation’s content hub department since 2010 and specializes in TV production, music videos, photo-shoots and bridal makeup.
Anna Hauwanga
A self-taught make-up artist, who is passionate about her talent, she started at early stage in her high school years. Anna is available for various on-site makeup artist needs, including bridal and wedding make-up, airbrush make-up, editorial and special occasions, as well as photo-shoots. Her experience in the industry contributed to her expertise in creating flawless looks for special events. Anna is certified in individual eyelashes extensions. She also worked for the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation over two years on request. She further tended to Unam beauty pageants and has been in the make-up industry for three (3) years and says she learns something new every day.
Hairstylist
Merino Kandjii
A hairstylist based in Windhoek and raised in the heart of Katutura, Merino has been a barber since 1996. After four years as barber, Merino decided to study hair styling. He sayst good hairstylists will cut your hair in different angles, which will make it leaner and remove the excess volume, leaving a great impression and look. Merino is a stylist who definitely turns heads and brings out the inner glow.