South Africans might think that standing ovations after fashion shows are an obligatory and polite gesture. However, when people rose out of their chairs after Lukhanyo Mdingi's collection at South African Menswear Week in Cape Town, they did so with real gusto. This young designer swept us off our feet with a comprehensive fashion story interweaving graphic prints, a burnt orange palette and '70s styling into a fresh contemporary look for men.When I meet Mdingi in Cape Town for breakfast, his head is not in the clouds or bursting with an inflated sense of self. He confesses he stays up at night trying to solve problems that have plagued the local fashion industry for decades. He doesn't seem interested in expanding on his design ethos or inspiration. This ambitious designer, who grew up in East London, is preoccupied with the poor infrastructure in the industry. He is concerned about the lack of machinery, skills, textiles and support from industry bodies."Our labels are not T-shirt labels and not like street labels, they are fashion labels. We need the support to continue. We don't have a wide selection of raw materials, and sending designers to trade shows is not beneficial. The money spent on sending a designer to one can cost up to R1-million. Don't send us to Germany, let's see what you can provide for us here. This industry needs nurturing," says Mdingi.Call him a fashion activist. Mdingi is clearly determined to have an aesthetic impact on fashion and appears keen to resolve the barriers fashion designers face in developing and evolving their businesses.It is refreshing to meet a young designer so in touch with the industry, given that he only graduated from Cape Peninsula University of Technology last year. He has done a lot in that time; he already has four fashion shows under his belt and has put his name on the fashion map. He is clearly an extraordinary talent.He attributes his ambition and maturity to his difficult circumstances. As the son of a domestic worker, he has had to work hard to succeed. This has meant holding down a part-time job as a waiter and taking on numerous internships."I needed to figure out quickly where I wanted to be in the fashion industry. I needed to work hard and provide for my family. I am not working for myself, but my mom and my gran."Mdingi prefers to consider this imperative as a gift. "It makes me want to work harder. I look at my peers and I think I have achieved just as much with less means."Clothing carries messages, stories, not only about the makers, but an industry and society, he suggests. Buying an Mdingi design empowers this young designer as well as the textile and manufacturing industry that all but collapsed at the end of the '80s. He is bent on creating a viable business to help rebuild the industry."I can't do it alone, I need everyone's help," he says.Fortunately, his obvious design acumen makes it easy to support his cause and look good doing it.Find out more about Mdingi's fashion at https://lukhanyomdingi.co.za/..