From nothing to wear to legacy of own label

After battling to find clothing that suited his style in stores, a second-year B Com marketing student decided to create his own streetwear clothing line.

The young, up-and-coming fashion designer launched Legado (“legacy” in Spanish) earlier this year and is now all set to show his apparel at The Launch: Urban Fashion Show on Wednesday. The event, to be held at the Tramways Building, will showcase seven different local clothing labels, including Legado. They are: Kapavelli Verratti, Krulkop Society, La Belle Vita, Papi Apparel, Vision Clothing Line and From The East. Dominic Fortuin, 19, of Sanctor said he was inspired to create his own threads and put together Wednesday’s fashion show. “When I started the clothing line, I wanted to leave a mark on the Port Elizabeth fashion industry [because] shopping became a nightmare for me – I could never find what I was looking for. “I decided to start making my own clothing and after my friends saw it, they also wanted some of the clothes and that’s how I started branching out.

“Many people have this conception that guys are not that interested in fashion but I do like to look good and that is my goal – to make a good quality product for both males and females,” he said. With the social media launch of his clothing line in March this year, Fortuin decided to put together a fashion show and create a platform for other designers to showcase their work. “There are six other brands involved and we all have our own unique style,” he said. He added that while his focus was on making Legado popular on a local scale, he dreamt of marketing his brand nationally as well. “My brand has been received very well in our circle, which is amazing, and I am excited about the new line as a lot of it will be drawn from street style.” Speaking about why he chose to pursue fashion while still studying towards a marketing qualification, Fortuin said: “I have always had an eye for fashion but I am more business minded and would like to see my business grow in a strong financial way while I get to express my creative side as well.”