We’ve been slowly developing our innovative fashion industry for the past 24 years so that fashion influencers from Africa and around the world will meet twice a year in Johannesburg for South African Fashion Week to see signature African luxury collections and attend the trade show that serves as central networking and trading forum for designers, boutiques, and the fashion media.
The main focus of SAFW right now is to support the innovative fashion community as it deals with the extraordinary threat presented by the global Coronavirus pandemic. SAFW acknowledged the importance of galvanizing South Africa’s designers to examine both the inherent brand qualities they each deliver as well as the wider value structure they desire to own as a group more than ever before.
To that end, cutting-edge new online channels have been developed as a critical space for connecting with all stakeholders, including the crucial luxury retail mark. Similarly, considering the fact that SAFW’s scope of business as a holistic driver of capacity building in the creative fashion industry must be focused on mitigating the destructive effects of the pandemic during 2020, the core foundations of SAFW’s scope of business as a holistic driver of capacity building in the creative fashion industry remain in place, which remains crucial.
After three days of shows shown by 28 artists, the virtual version of South African Fashion Week (SAFW) Spring/Summer 2021/22 ended on May 1st. Bonnie Mbuli, a South African actress, described the show as “a new kind of runway show to match these extraordinary times.” Celebrities, influencers, and editors gathered at Johannesburg’s Mall of Africa to watch the series, which were streamed live on a big screen, while others watched them using the Quicket app.
MC Alpine, a winner of SAFW’s New Talent Search competition, unveiled the Waste Not, Want Not series, which included surplus fabric from previous collections, according to the designer. The designs were in keeping with SAFW director Lucilla Booyzen‘s statement that slow fashion was the season’s main priority.
Mmuso Maxwell and LVMH finalist Lukhanyo Mdingi were among the designers who showcased their mohair-based Diamond Fibre Collections on Day 2. Wandi Nzimande, the co-founder of famous streetwear and lifestyle company Loxion Kulca, died earlier this year, and the season ended with a tribute to her. The collection was designed by Ole Ledimo, founder of House of Ole, and shown against a backdrop of Nzimande’s favorite quote: “There is no day so brilliant the night will never come.” There is no such thing as a night so bleak that the next day will never come.”
“The majority of designers who are affiliated with the platform favor South African Fashion Week’s aim of facilitating a sluggish fashion society steeped in ecological sustainability by 2025,” Lucilla Booyzen said.
Furthermore, a trade show has been organized, So, with the South African Fashion Week Trade Show set to take place from 1-3 November, it’s an opportune time to retrospect on the trans-seasonal collections that were showcased at the South African Fashion week.
The trade show will be at the Crystal Court Mall of Africa with more than 50 designers of men’s and women’s wear as well as footwear, handbag, jewelry, and millinery available. There will also be a SAFW pop-up shop where fashion enthusiasts will be able to interact and buy directly from all the participating designers from 27- 29 Nov in the mall.