Cyla Gonsolves

What does your company do?

When designer Cyla Gonsolves stepped off the reality series set of The Intern by David Tlale in 2017, she did not sit around resting on her laurels. Instead, she immediately rolled up her sleeves and started her own womenswear brand, specialising in casually luxurious resort- and knitwear. Proudly produced in the small studio on a farm, assisted by a team in Cape Town, her sartorial oeuvre lies in timeless, elegant clothing with a hand-crafted twist. These days, the award-winning Cyla Gonsolves range includes dreamy dresses for daytime adventuring, cosy knits for effortless layering, contemporary classic blouses, and more. Each seasonal collection is conceived and tailored with care and impeccable attention to detail. The brand also offers custom-made luxury garments, ranging from matric dance dresses, to bridesmaid gowns, and everything in between.

What is your biggest success?

Being crowned the ultimate winner of the Mr Price Talent Search competition at SA Fashion Week 2023 (SAFW23). I got the opportunity to design a collection for one of SA'S biggest retail stores MR PRICE. My womenswear collection was sold in store nation wide.

What has been your biggest hurdle?

As a small business owner my biggest hurdle has been lack of funds.We have a limited budget each season and that limits us from growing raptly. We are growing more and more each season and we would love to expand our team to 4 full time seamstresses / tailors . At the moment i am struggling to get orders done with the limited staff I have. More funds would mean the world to our small business and will give us the opportunity to employ more staff and produce more stock.