Gert Johan Coetzee Bursary

Dreaming about a career in the fashion industry?  Now is your chance to enter the Gert Johan Coetzee Bursary Competition and realize your passions at North West School of Design. 

The Gert Johan Coetzee Bursary is an opportunity for an aspiring fashion designer to reach their full potential.

Gert Johan Coetzee studied fashion at the North West School of Design and qualified as Designer of the year in 2005. For the past four years, he has served on the institution’s advisory board and said that what he studied in 2004 & 2005 is very different from what is being taught there today. Due to the constant changing of the fashion industry, the courses as well as the course material used, is continuously being updated with the latest input from top designers and industry leaders, locally and internationally. Also, having local as well as international lecturers, it was easy for Gert Johan Coetzee to decide on North West School of Design as the best school for the bursary.

           

The target market of the bursary is current Grade 12 learners as well as people who have graduated high school. During 2010, the first year of the Gert Johan Coetzee Bursary competition, the main focus was on targeting people in the North West Province, the second year as well as the third year was, and is the whole of South Africa is targeted and in 2013, the fourth year of the competition, we intend on targeting the entire African continent.

The value of the bursary is R104 000.00.

This includes:

·         Tuition fees

·         Study material

·          An internship at Gert Johan Coetzee’s Studio and most importantly

·          The mentorship of Gert Johan Coetzee (which involves help and guidance from him throughout the 3 years of study as well as accompanying Gert Johan Coetzee to various fashion events, networking events, social events and through this networking with celebrities and thus creating possible job opportunities).

The eligibility of the applicants for the bursary lies upon having a National Senior Certificate, or currently being a grade 12 learner.

Applicants need to submit the following documents:

·         A certified copy of their Identification Document

·         A short CV or resume

·         Latest statement of results

·         A one- page essay motivating why he/she should be the recipient of the bursary.

·         Four sketches- two eveningwear (couture) and two ready-to-wear (pret-a-porter). The theme is “Me, myself and I.”

The top 7 applicants, who are chosen purely based on the quality of work submitted, as age, race, gender and birthplace are removed, will undergo an interview process with Gert Johan Coetzee and his publicist and will have to write an application test on the morning of the NWSD Graduation Fashion Show (10 November 2012). On the evening of the fashion show Gert Johan Coetzee will announce the winner of the Gert Johan Coetzee Bursary.

The closing date for applications is 8 October 2012 and the date of the fashion show is 10 November 2012.  This auspicious event will be held at the Klerksdorp City Hall.

Ultimately, the goal of this bursary is not just affording someone their life’s dream but allowing positive growth in the fashion community of South Africa.  Objectively, , the Gert Johan Coetzee Bursary will become a household name.