Hi, I’m Alcora du Plessis — founder of Make it & Take it, fashion designer, sewing teacher and lifelong creative.

I started sewing at around two and a half years old, and over the past 22+ years I’ve worked across fashion design, pattern making, garment construction, buying, brand development and strategic retail management.

Before opening my studio, I ran my own business designing and producing custom wedding dresses, couture garments and matric farewell dresses, working closely with clients to create garments that were both beautiful and wearable.

I later worked as a designer and pattern maker for Foschini, before spending more than 10 years as a fashion buyer for major South African retailers including Edgars, Miladys, Topics and Foschini.

Being part of the retail era of brands like Penny C gave me a strong understanding of what women actually want to wear, how garments fit different body types, and how fashion translates successfully from concept to customer.

My work in buying allowed me to travel internationally for sourcing, trend research and product development to places such as Hong Kong, New York City, London, Bangladesh, Barcelona and Amsterdam, exposing me to global fashion trends, textiles, manufacturing and retail systems.

Later, as a Strategic Project Manager at Edgars, I worked on large-scale retail and brand projects, including Project Runway South Africa and the creation of standalone concept stores and brands such as Kelso and Free2BU.