Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa March 2015 | Page 64

LESSONS

Keeping the

Mandela
legacy alive
Desré on Mandela’s shirts and
following your dreams

BY NEALE PETERSEN

N

elson Mandela became well-known for his
unique dress style by wearing flamboyant,
casual African print shirts which later became
his signature style as a global icon. What many people
do not know is the real story behind Madiba’s shirts
and how he start wearing them.
Desré Buirski is a proud South African clothing
designer. She wants to make a difference in the world
in whatever she does. Desré became Mandela’s stylist,
during and after his Presidency. Getting Mandela to
wear her shirts for the first time was an act of courage
in following her dreams.
When Desré was 18, her family emigrated to
Capistrano Beach, Southern California, in the United
States. Desré was told she can go anywhere and do
anything she wanted to achieve her dreams. She had
a passion for the Arts and enrolled at Orange Coast
College where she completed a two-year Diploma in
Graphic Design, Drama and Nutrition.
After working as a salad maker at a restaurant she
did Sales at an Indonesian clothing company called
East Indies West. She learnt about wholesale, weekend
markets and warehousing. Desré eventually headed
the Sales team. She went to trade shows, dealt with
key customers and got to understand the needs of the
import and export busines ˈ\ܰ