Then came the actual event that was Fashion
Week. South Africa still has to catch up when it
comes to playing with the top dogs of Paris and
New York Fashion Week, but one can honestly
say that the event has come a long way. For a
long time South Africa Fashion Week was the
ugly sister no one talked about – but with this
fashion forecast, designers went out of their way
to prove why South Africa can compete with the
best in the business.
The designers took risks, and it paid off! From
Gert Johan Coetzee’s powerful HIV-message represented by trendy and colourful designs to the
old-school glamour and soft materials showcased by Black Coffee, new risky patterns and
beautiful lines by Palse and the adventurous designs by young fashion showcase WAKE. We defi
nitely are not the ugly sister anymore! It was all in
all a fun week of fashion in the heart of Johannesburg as Crowne Plaza opened its doors to the
best in the business.
Truth be told, not all the designs were on point,
but this is also okay. South Africa has a diverse
market and as with most things in life, fashion
too is open for discussion and interpretation. This
“art-form” is still a growing child in the womb of
emerging designers in South Africa and the only
way to grow, is by trial and error.
The event itself was beautifully organised and
the venue, spectacular! (Not to mention the
wonderful goodies in our media hampers, and
make-up by Rimmel)
Our only problem with the venue was parking.
Unfortunately there were just too many cars,
and although additional transport and parking
were made available at a nearby school (at an
additional R15) it was simply not in line with the
breathtaking event. Dusty sports fields without
a single light to guide the way took away from
the glitz and glamour as guests made their way
to the five star venue.
Apart from this, SA Fashion Week in conclusion,
was a huge success with room to grow. We
would like to congratulate all the designers on
their amazing creations, bold ideas and forward
thinking concepts on style for the immerging SA
consumers market. Well done to the organisers
and staff involved in creating an amazing platform and world class event. We look forward to
the next showcase!
Photographer: Vernondo Boshoff