On The Couch With Nadine Martin



Fashion designer and owner of fashion label Senorita

By Travis Richards 

SS: What made you want to enter the world of fashion design?

ND: I am passionate about design and very passionate about clothing. I love looking beautiful and making women look beautiful so fashion design is what I was meant to do.

SS: Did you find it difficult at first, when dealing with the pressures of the industry?

ND: It is very difficult and I don't think it will ever get easier, especially when talking about South African fashion. Even with the experience that I have, there are still many difficulties that I face.

SS: Did you have any role models in the industry? If so, who are they?

ND: Firstly, my brother, Andre Martin, who controls the Life brand, as well as other South African designers like Stone Cherry, who have made it in the industry.

SS: What do you make of the South African fashion industry?

ND: It is very hard to make your mark on the South African fashion scene and it is an extremely cut throat industry. It requires a lot of hard work and focus and goes way beyond your regular every day 9 to 5.


SS: Where did you do your first fashion show?

ND: My first fashion show was actually my own private showcase and it was held at a restaurant called Chicken Shack, on the Bluff. It was purely my own effort and my own thinking, I learnt to be organised and disciplined.

SS: Who do you owe your current success too?

ND: First and foremost, I owe my success to God, for giving me the talent, the drive and the ambition. I also designed at Mr Price Sport early in my career and I worked for my brother Andre for about four years. Every thing that I have learnt about fashion has come from that.

SS: Who is your favourite designer at the moment and why?

ND: There is a few but if I had to choose one, it would have to be Nelly and his fashion label Apple Bottom. I really like his designs because it is street and very funky. When I have a new design idea, the Apple Bottom website is the first place I go to

SS: Where is your next fashion show going to be held?

ND: Well I do have some events in the pipeline right now but my next event is going to actually be a lifestyle party in collaboration with another local fashion designer.

SS: Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years? 

ND: Well I want to see my Senorita brand taken to an international stage but as of right now, I am concentrating on setting up boutiques in every major city in South Africa.

SS: What advice would you like to give to young fashion designers and models?

ND: Never underestimate the industry, you need to have proper guidance and council from established designers, to get a good over view of the industry before you can commit to it. As a designer you cannot learn everything from a text book. Fashion takes many years and many hours of work and you must, as a designer, get past the ten year mark, in order for your brand to be sustainable.





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