August 1, 2007
By Millicent Kgowedi
AUGUST spells fashion fever, with two major events showing the best of local design. First up is Joburg Fashion Week, followed days later by Sanlam South African Fashion Week.
And four talented local designers will be returning from Paris Fashion Week 2007 in time for Joburg Fashion Week, to wow trendy Joburgers with their spring-summer collections, hot off the Parisian catwalks.
Fresh from the French capital, David Tlale, Thabani Mavundla, Craig Jacobs and Thula Sindi will open Joburg Fashion Week. The show runs from 22 to 25 August at Mandela Square in Sandton.
A glass ramp will be installed under the marquee. Each show will be broadcast live, to reach an audience of more than 3 500 people, in the marquee and at the restaurants around the square. Television screens will also be installed around the square.
Besides the Paris four, South Africa's foremost design talent will show their collections, including Sun Goddess, Philosophy by Jenni Button, Kluk CGdT, Hip Hop by Cheryl Arthur, Habits by Jenny le Roux, Couturier Spero Villioti, C Squared Carducci, Eboka by Fred Eboka, Port by Craig Port, Kobus Dippenaar Atelier, Marianne Fassler, Wonderbra, Zinzi Couture and Paul van Zyl with Uwe Koetter, and Vukani Range Creations by Sonwabile Ndamase.
"We are expecting a turn-out of about 11 000 people in total to attend Joburg Fashion Week," said Tessa Kidd, the event's public relations officer.
The City is a sponsor of the event, which gives designers from across South Africa a world-class platform to showcase their collections to buyers and the public.
Announcing the City's sponsorship of the week, Parks Tau, the member of the mayoral committee for finance and economic development, said: "As the business heart of South Africa, Johannesburg represents an essential market for the fashion industry and we believe this event will provide a significant and strategic boost for the creative economy of South Africa."
African Fashion International
Formerly known as Leisureworx, African Fashion International (AFI) owns and presents the continent's most respected and exciting fashion weeks as well as other fashion-related strategic marketing initiatives.
"At African Fashion International we pride ourselves on presenting many of South Africa's most respected fashion designers," said Precious Moloi-Motsepe, the chairperson of AFI.
"Joburg Fashion Week provides a world-class stage for our leading designers. We believe this event will help to position local designers to compete more effectively in what is an increasingly fast-moving and global marketplace. The leadership of our best designers will ultimately inspire other designers and add further fuel to our creative economy."
Sanlam Fashion Week
Doubling the fashion dose, an impressive line-up of international speakers, including designer Alexander Koutney, will bring fresh perspectives and world-class expertise from fashion capitals like New York and Paris to the four-day Sanlam South African Fashion Week (SSAFW).
Starting on Wednesday, 29 August at the Sandton Convention Centre, the week will feature talks by experts and showcases designers' summer collections over four days. More than 30 designers are taking part; among them are Black Coffee, Lunar, Sun Goddess, Mantsho, Marion and Lindie, Ruby, Bongiwe Walaza, JJ Schoeman and Craig Native.
There will be three platforms; the left, right and the centre stage, or public runway.
A series of seminars run by academics will touch on topics such as the government's game plan for the fashion industry, branding, changing trends and the future of fashion, while panel discussions will include manufacturers and suppliers, designers, agents, department stores and buyers.
According to the organisers, there will be a fashion exhibition alongside the runaway collections where visitors will be able to network with more than 120 labels and brands.
Fusion workshops
In addition, 15 South African crafters and designers who participated in the Department of Arts and Culture's Fusion Workshops, held in all nine provinces earlier this year, will exhibit their designs. These workshops brought together designers and rural crafters, to create innovative items.
Booking for the seminars is essential, and tickets range from R300 to about R600. There are discounts available for group bookings.
The SSAFW, now its second year, kicks off at 1pm on 29 August; the last event will finish at 9pm. On the other days shows will run from 5pm to 9.30pm. Tickets are R150 for all shows and R50 for exhibitions.
Tickets to Joburg Fashion Week shows are R55; the shows will run from 4.30pm to 9.30pm daily. Tickets are available at Computicket, on 083 915 8000.
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