Fashion's phoenix

Nicole Morris-Rosenast is putting her own spin on “rags to riches”

If anyone understands how to perfectly tailor the symbiosis between a beautiful once-off, limited edition garment and giving back to a community in need, it’s fashion entrepreneur Nicole Morris-Rosenast.

Like a phoenix that has risen from the ashes, the beauty and brains behind the exclusive members-only House Of Fashion club in Cape Town (and, more recently, Johannesburg) has had to reinvent herself on numerous occasions. But perseverance and hard work now see her expertly navigating the role of owner and MD of a unique and exclusive “slow shopping” experience that’s taking Joburg by storm.

From rags to raiment

It’s a role that unites Nicole’s many years of experience as an international

fashion buyer with her passion for helping those in need. And she understands the importance of being given a fighting chance better than most: she started out as a jobless single mom who had to prove herself as a down-and-out amateur fashion buyer, with no basic salary and working hard for every cent of commission. That probably explains her passion for charity work that empowers

and employs. 

“You’ll only be able to understand that plight when you’ve been there – and I’ve been there not once but three times!” she exclaims. “I think

when you’ve been brought down to your knees to such an extent, it’s hard not to remember that.”

As Nicole sits in front of the opulent backdrop of the glamourous Atholl home

that serves as headquarters for the Johannesburg House of Fashion branch, perfectly poised in a vibrant blue figurehugging dress, it’s a stretch of the imagination to picture the blonde bombshell wanting for anything. Yet she remains utterly humble about her success and passionate to the point of obsession about uplifting impoverished communities.

Where luxury meets charity

Essentially, Nicole’s service to her House of Fashion members is two-fold. First, she acts as a “fashion and style ambassador”, travelling and sourcing a selection of top local and international brands (such as Cango & Rinaldi accessories, Miss Me jeans and items from local designers Kobus Dipennaar, Elbeth Gillis and Daniel Margaux). These garments are then beautifully presented in and around the Atholl house, where, by appointment only, members are free to sip champagne, browse the colour-coded racks and fit their favourite garments with a team of stylists on hand to advise them.

The second service she offers has a more indirect relationship to fashion, via Nicole’s Only One Foundation (named after her once-off garment “Only

One” fashion label). Whenever members purchase items from the House of Fashion, 10% of all of the proceeds are automatically donated to the foundation.

“I see this as a luxury brand with a social conscience, allowing women the opportunity to buy a garment they love and in turn benefit the less fortunate,” she explains. “Just because they shopped at House of Fashion, we’re able to show them the difference that they made in a nearby community.”

With one phone call, members can also have their second hand goods picked up (and even packed up, should the caller so desire) and taken away to be put to good use. What makes the Only One Foundation truly unique is that it fills the divide between receiver and giver that sees so many other charities fall short. Whether donations are clothing (washed, ironed and tailored in the House of Fashion factory) or practical items like food and computers, the foundation uses photos and regular blog posts to track the progress of every one, from the minute it's fetched or donated to its delivery to a household or organisation in need.

Towards empowerment

Nicole says she always knew that she wanted to help a charity that was non-government funded (one that didn’t fit in with strict government criteria, in other words, and didn’t receive handouts as a result).

For a long time the House of Fashion in Cape Town has enjoyed a successful relationship with Where Rainbows Meet, a training and development foundation based in the community of Vrygrond in the Western Cape, and which supports disadvantaged youth in the area.

Although an established affiliation with a Johannesburg-based organisation is still in the pipeline, Nicole reveals her ambitions for a collaboration between House of Fashion Johannesburg and a very skilled group of beaders who'd relish the chance to find their inspirational embroidery a home in haute couture.

“I think it’s Africa’s time,” she advocates. “I’ve been to China 44 times, and I've seen its demise. Eleven years ago there was no such thing as begging

or pleading, but today beggars are everywhere. China also has impoverishment and minimum wage problems.

“We have huge talent and labour in South Africa, just not the raw materials. So we need to bring in the raw materials and allow our talent to design and create products of international standards. It has to be about moving away from people being exploited because they are desperate for work and towards empowering people.”

This article first appeared in the February edition of Sandton magazine.

For more information, contact House of Fashion, Johannesburg: +27 (0)11 784 7307. For more on the Only One Foundation, visit the blog www.onlyonefoundationsa.com.