Sipping a latte at Zack’s at the Windermere Centre, I know when fashion designer Kimosha Ganas arrives. Heads turn as the fashionista dressed in a white frilly bolero with a boob tube style top and black lycra tights walks by. Looking as if she just stepped off the catwalk, it’s just an ordinary outfit on an average day for Kimosha.

Kimosha is a young emerging designer with a flair for fashion and style. Her label, Kimo Sabie, embodies class and sophistication with a touch of decadence. Her contemporary feminine designs are aimed for the fashion conscious and trendy, a must have for every fashionista.

Trained at the eminent fashion college, the House of Farah Diba, Kimosha has showcased her work at a number of fashion events and local hotspots. “My work has been featured at the Durban July, Canon Gold Cup and Clairwood Gold Cup, as well as, Fashion TV Umhlanga, Cafe Vacca Mata (Durban and Pietermaritzburg) and Su Casa. It was also showed on SABC 3’s Flash and e-TV news,” she said. Her crowning moment was being selected in the top ten in the established designer category at the Clairwood Gold Cup.

Her love for fashion arose from her fond childhood memories playing dress up. “I love the process of dressing up as a child. I loved wearing my mom’s make-up and styling my dolls. These early activities ignited my love for fashion,” she says.

Describing fashion as “art in motion”, Kimosha draws her inspiration from her surroundings. “I am inspired by everything. From the contours of a perfume bottle to the intensity of my emotions, inspiration is abundant everywhere.”

Though she loves the designs of Versace and D&G, it is Armani she admires the most. “Giorgio Armani is my role model. I adore him. He is so elegant and talented, he puts garments together so beautifully.”

The sky seems the limit for the designer, as an upcoming designer boutique has shown interest in stocking her line. She will be the only South African designer, competing against international heavy weights such as Armani, Hugo Boss and D&G.

As her brand begins to take momentum, Kimosha sets her eyes globally. “I plan to infiltrate the international market in the not too distance future.  My dream is to showcase a range at the fashion capitals of the world: London, Paris, New York and Milan,” she says.

Kimosha shared some valuable advice for up and coming designers: “The fashion industry is a tough industry. You need huge doses of passion and determination to succeed. If you put your heart and soul into your work and market yourself well, it will eventually pay off.”