From a Winning Idea to Mayor’s Festive Wardrobe

Masikhuthazane – Kenilworth resident, Inez Shaw’s colourful crochet creation wins the City’s Wear the Hope Design and Make Challenge 2026, celebrating community, creativity and the power of coming together

Cape Town – A crochet square, a skill passed down through generations and a belief that extraordinary things can happen when people work together. These are the threads behind Masikhuthazane, the winning design in the City of Cape Town’s 2nd annual Wear the Hope Design and Make Challenge.

Created by Kenilworth resident Inez Shaw, the striking red-on-black sleeveless crochet vest has been selected as the winning interpretation of this year’s Festive Lights Switch-On theme, Beacon of Hope.

The design will now be brought to life, with the finished garment set to be presented to the Mayor at the City’s Festive Lights Switch-On Test Drive on 11 November, ahead of the much-anticipated annual celebration.

But this is no ordinary festive fashion statement.

Masikhuthazane, meaning “Let us encourage one another,” is a celebration of community, shared skills and the idea that every individual has something valuable to contribute and that together we can overcome.

The garment’s front features brightly coloured crocheted squares, each with a floral centre in blue, white, yellow and green, framed and joined by vibrant red yarn. Set against a solid black back, neckline and hem, the design offers a contemporary, distinctly South African interpretation of festive fashion.

And every square has a story to tell.

Shaw has invited friends, family, students, staff, alumni and community members to contribute individually crocheted squares, using reclaimed and leftover yarn to give discarded materials renewed purpose.

“A beacon of hope can begin at home, with one person teaching another a stitch. With encouragement, that stitch becomes a skill, and that skill can offer hope for a brighter future,” said Shaw, whose grandmother taught her to crochet when she was just four years old.

“Masikhuthazane is about recognising that every contribution matters. Whether it’s a stitch, a skill, an idea or an act of kindness, we all have something to offer. Unity does not require sameness. When we bring our individual contributions together, we can create something extraordinary.”

A mother’s legacy woven into every stitch

For Shaw, the winning design carries a deeply personal meaning.

Inspired by her grandmother and her mother’s legacy as well as her connection to the Elizabeth Galloway Academy of Fashion, Masikhuthazane honours the traditional craft of crochet and the importance of passing skills, knowledge and opportunities from one generation to the next.

It is also a reminder that creativity does not always require expensive materials or sophisticated technology. Sometimes, all it takes is a little leftover yarn, someone willing to teach and someone eager to learn.

The result is a design that celebrates not only what Cape Town’s communities can make, but what they can achieve together.

More than a garment: a message for Cape Town

For fashion designer and sustainable fashion advocate Cyril Naicker, the winning entry stood out for the strength of its human story and the authenticity of its interpretation of Beacon of Hope. “What resonates most is the bringing together of individual contributions into one garment…which gives tangible expression to belonging and shared purpose.

“Every contribution matters, and the finished piece becomes a powerful representation of what we can create together.” Naicker also praised the design’s commitment to sustainability and the preservation of traditional skills, saying, “It demonstrates how materials can be valued and given renewed purpose, while celebrating a traditional craft through teaching, learning and the sharing of skills.”

Congratulating Shaw on her win, fellow judge, stylist and creative director Adele Williams, believes the spirit of Beacon of Hope begins with the values we learn at home and carry into our communities. “Everything begins at home,” she said. “So it’s like a ripple effect.”

Williams, who has spoken about the lasting influence of her late father and the importance of passing kindness and respect between generations, sees these values as central to the theme of this year’s challenge.

It is a sentiment beautifully reflected in Shaw’s winning design, where a traditional skill passed from one generation to another becomes an opportunity to bring people together.

From a winning idea to the Mayor’s festive wardrobe

With the winning concept selected, attention now turns to transforming Shaw’s design into a finished garment.

The finished garment will be presented to the Mayor at the Festive Lights Switch-On Test Drive on 11 November, where it will be considered for the Mayor’s festive appearance.

As the winner of the 2nd annual Wear the Hope Design and Make Challenge, Shaw has nominated Molo Mhlaba to receive R5,000 worth of art supplies, extending the spirit of creativity and opportunity beyond the competition.

The initiative forms part of the City of Cape Town’s commitment to encouraging public participation and giving residents a meaningful role in one of the city’s most anticipated annual celebrations.

And while Cape Town prepares to celebrate the festive season under the theme Beacon of Hope, Shaw’s design offers a simple but powerful reminder: Hope doesn’t always begin with a grand gesture. Sometimes it starts with a single stitch, a helping hand and the courage to encourage one another.

Festive Lights Switch-On 2026 will take place on 29 November 2026 at the Grand Parade from 16H00. It is a family-focused free event and all are welcome.