South African Fashion Week Kicks Off

South African Fashion Week (SAFW) begins its three-day schedule of shows today, with 28 designers, including LVMH prize finalist Lukhanyo Mdingi and finalists of SAFW’s 2021 new talent search competition, showcasing their collections digitally.

According to Lucilla Booyzen, director of SAFW, the trans-seasonal collections on the schedule were shot at the beginning of April at South Africa’s Mall of Africa and viewers will be able to purchase tickets on the SAFW website to view the collections via streaming platform Quicket.

While the digital format remains a necessity due to continued government restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19 in South Africa, Booyzen also said broadcasting the shows digitally has the benefit of increasing the platform’s reach beyond South Africa.

This year’s main focus for SAFW is slow fashion, Booyzen told BoF. In practice, this focus takes different forms for different designers, with upcycling and working with natural fabrics like cotton, mohair, and wool being commonly-utilised slow fashion tools among those showing at SAFW.

”South African Fashion Week’s goal of facilitating a slow fashion culture steeped in ecological sustainability by 2025 is supported by the majority of designers who are aligned with the platform,” Booyzen said.

This edition of SAFW also features a tribute to Wandi Nzimande, the co-founder of popular streetwear and lifestyle brand Loxion Kulca, who died earlier this year. The Loxion Kulca collection to be shown on the SAFW schedule was designed by House of Ole founder, Ole Ledimo.