The SA fashion industry now boasts a full calendar of events to flaunt a growing industry and an exciting new breed of designer. Established designers like Gavin Rajah, Marianne Fassler, Errol Arendz and Jenni Button continue to underpin the SA industry, presenting fresh ideas every year. “Young Turks” like Fred Eboka, Craig Jacobs, Craig Native, Thabani Mavundla and Thula Sindi are setting the catwalks alight and brazenly taking the South African fashion industry to ne
w heights in the world’s biggest fashion capitals.
SA Fashion Week
The premier SA fashion event, the Sanlam SA Fashion Week, held in Johannesburg, added a 2-day autumn/winter showing in 2007 to its highly successful foundation event in August, a week devoted to spring and summer collections.
An innovative SA Fashion Week initiative is the Fashion Fusion project which forges collaborations between designers and rural crafters. This serves the dual purpose of empowering and showcasing crafters, while allowing designers to add even more unique South African flavours to their collections.
Joburg Fashion Week
Launched in 2007, Joburg Fashion Week is a fabulous spring/summer fabric fiesta and a fitting addition to the Audi Joburg Fashion Week (the autumn/winter event).
Held in late August, Joburg Fashion Week is a showcase for collections with a local flavour, but also suited to the international market. Cutting-edge designers like David Tlale and Stoned Cherie are making this a key platform for their breezy inspirations.
"We believe this new event will help position local designers to compete more effectively in what is an increasingly fast-moving and global marketplace," says Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, chairperson of African Fashion International.
Cape Town Fashion Week
Cape Town Fashion Week, launched in 2003 and held at Cape Town International 
Convention Centre at the beginning of August, is Africa's largest gathering of fashion talent, and many of the continent's designers use it as a launch pad for their spring/summer collections.
The 2007 event celebrated the new creative spirit sweeping across the continent with the theme 'New World Africa'. Designers from over 70 African countries flaunted their wonderful millennial concepts.
Cape Town Fashion week attracts a huge audience - over 30 000 fashion followers, buyers and media attend – and it plays a key role in developing business for local designers. It also boasts an exhibition space for the designers, introduced in 2007.
Booking is essential for all events! For details on dates, see the websites below.
©Photographs are courtesy and copyright of Sanlam SA Fashion Week
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