I deserve to win & never doubted that, says Project Runway SA winner Kentse

While Kentse Masilo's Project Runway SA win may have come as a surprise to some viewers, she told  TshisaLIVE that she always knew the crown was hers.

Kentse wowed viewers and judges of the show for several weeks as she introduced her bold designs that some thought came straight out of a sci-fi movie. She claimed that the designs were inspired by her desire to shake up the local fashion industry.

When TshisaLIVE spoke to Kentse on the morning after her win she said she was overwhelmed with the love she had received. 

"I am so happy to have won (the competition). Because the finale was pre-recorded I had to keep it in for a while but I am so glad that I can now celebrate and let everyone know that I am the winner," she said with an excited shriek.

While the #TeamKentse fan club welcomed her win, there was also a wave of complaints about her seemingly being a "judges' favourite".

The naysayers suggested that next year the winner should be decided by public vote.

Even the show's host Lerato Kganyago came under fire, having to defend herself and the judges on Twitter.

Kentse said she wasn't bothered by the hate because she always knew she would win.

"Honestly, I was so hungry for an opportunity and wanted it so bad that I believed that I could take it home. I didn't doubt it for a minute. Project Runway was an opportunity to get my name out there and I am grateful for it. Those years of praying and working hard have paid off."

She said that people who were fighting her just needed to get used to her designs.

"I totally understand their criticism because my designs are really new and it will take some time to get used to them. The plan is to disrupt the fashion industry and come up with something that is new and innovative that will elevate African fashion."

Kentse walked away with over R1-million worth of prizes, including a pop up store at Paris Fashion Week, a mentorship and prizes worth over R400,000 from Edgars, a Lexus CT 200h luxury compact hybrid worth R530,000, a trip to New York Fashion Week and R20,000 from TRESemmé towards her first showcase at South African Fashion Week.

She also got Kelso Beauty products worth R30,000, a R10,000 shopping voucher from Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, a Bernina sewing machine and over locker, and a two- night stay at Bakubung Bush Lodge.

Little did anyone know that Kentse has been praying for years to go to Paris and showcase her fashion there.

"It is something that I have wanted for a very long time. My friends and family must be so sick of hearing me talk about Paris. I don't think it was a coincidence that one of the prizes I won was to go to Paris Fashion Week. It is everything I ever wanted."