Sizakele Gladys Semenye better known as CSG CINDY ‘S GLADYS is making waves in the fashion industry. The 40-year-old designer and owner of the fashion brand comes from Pretoria but originally from KZN.
Born into a family of many siblings, Sizakele said it was not easy as she faced many hurdles like most South African women.
“I grew up really poor, there was a time when we would pick food from the bin just so we could eat. And I was mostly raised by my dad, and we moved a lot every time my dad had a new job we would pick up and go and which meant that he would remarry so I had a lot of stepmothers. I could not stay with my mom because her husband did not want us but she did,” she told BONA.
After having faced physical, and sexual abuse with multiple attempts of suicide she was however determined to succeed.
Determined to succeed, Sizakele moved to Johannesburg where she worked as a nanny for a year, after transitioning as a waitress until she landed a job in a modelling agency where she worked as a model for a couple of years.
She revealed that the modelling gig came as a blessing in disguise, because she did not fit the description of what the client was looking for. But she applied anyway.
“I told my agent I want to apply. My agent said look, you don’t fit the description. And I said I don’t care let me just apply the worst that could happen they could say no. To get me off her back she just allowed me to and everyone else was looking at me so funny like what is she doing and two weeks later we got a response and the first response was me being accepted and that’s how I got to leave the country.”
In Pursuit Of Happiness
After working as a model in China and travelling the world, Sizakele thought to herself that modelling was not it for her, so in pursuit of happiness she went on to study fashion in Italy Milan. After graduating with no luck of finding a job she began her own fashion brand. Although she faced many disappointments she was determined to succeed.
“I couldn’t find a job after graduating, even though I graduated with distinction in both design and construction. I was too old to be an intern in Italy, I had too many qualifications but no experience, I remember the last job interview I did after we had gone through eight weeks of training.
I sat in the last interview for Cesare Pacciott, two hours in, we talked about everything. My ideas, how I saw the future of fashion, I mean everything. I really thought the job was mine, and he said to me, I will not hire you, you are brilliant, over qualified and with great ideas and ambition. If I hired you I’d be stealing from the future of the fashion industry, go and start your own brand. Bring your ideas to life.”
From then she went on to launch the brand CSG, which is a sustainable fashion brand that produces ladies and gents smart casual and elegant fashion garments made from Biocompatible textile called WASHI, WASHI means Paper in Japanese.
The material is made from Abaca Plant and Softwood trees, the process is from an ancient Japanese paper manufacturing system.
She has partnered up with a Japanese veteran Mr Itoi in a process to industrialise the process.
“Today we produce all our designs with WASHI Fabric. It is a biodegradable, anti-allergen, 100% sustainable material that solves the textile pollution and not only our designs are timeless, we offer our clients a possibility of dressing in style while being responsible,” said Sizakele.
After leaving her family in Italy to venture into fashion in Africa the businesswoman says her family was not quite “happy” about that. Upon arriving she opened up her own business however COVID strike and she was forced to close down.
“It was also a blessing because it taught me resilience, courage, people management, I understood my strengths and weaknesses, overall it taught me that I could do anything and that I was on the right.”
In her spirit of determination she continued and never quit as she went on to collaborate with the likes of Chef Wandile Mabaso and Inverroche/Insider SA/ Woolworths chef competition and recently a collaboration with Stella Artur The Ritual.
Building a Lasting Legacy
The mother of two went on to win the Excellence in Italian Style and Craftsmanship by the National Consortium of Artisans in Italy, she was also featured in Torino Magazine as the best designer for the Expo Milan 2015. Her designs are now being worn in South Africa.
She has also collaborated with many fashion industries where she helps assist small brands in establishing and building their brand from every aspect, design, style, technology production and market placement.
“ I teach what I know on my platforms, I recently registered SIZAKEELE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CENTER NPO where we will be teaching everything fashion and more. We are enrolling 300+ students of any age from 18 onwards, our aim to to equip individuals with sustainable skills that allow them to be self sustainable and generational legacy creation. Not only we teach them and let them go, we will be hiring them in our factories and those who want to start their businesses, we will guide them on various steps and connect them to cohorts that can take them further.”
She is urging all women and young people to “learn to dream and understand your hunger and I’m not talking about visceral hunger, but hunger to be what only you can dream of. There is a saying in Italian that says ( LA FAME AGUZZA L’INGENIO) Meaning, hunger awakens the genius in you. ”
She ends off by saying “Today the world is digital, get off social media for the wrong reasons, get on to find opportunities. Today poverty has no excuse, if you earn a grant use part of it to upscale yourself. I learn a lot online, I teach a lot online all free of charge. Fame is not the only route to success, activate that genius in you always.”
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