SA Fashion Weeks

WHERE NEXT WITH FASHION WEEKS IN SOUTH AFRICA?

With the discovery that South Africa national fashion weeks are under threat of becoming (or already are) a monopoly where does the designer fit into the politics for control of and promotion of South Africa's fashion industry? Is this state of affairs healthy for the fashion industry in South Africa?

We are not alone in the confusion and debate about the economic importance of Fashion Weeks. "Fashion weeks everywhere, has become bigger than just the business of buying and selling clothes, and the people who run fashion weeks are thinking [big]. They’ve turned organizing shows into a profitable business," says Lauren Goldstein Crowe from New York.

Who is really financially making the most – the organisers or the designers? Of course, it is understandable, that the organisers take the risk, implement the strategies get the sponsors but with out a designer there is no show.

Like South Africa where Fashion Weeks follow one after the other and logistics become critical so is logistics vital for the international Fashion Week calendar. The recent Indian fashion premier caused a lot of strain on fashion followers and the participant designers because the organisers failed to realise that the New York Fashion Week was taking place at the same time – confusion reigns in fashion – internationally as well. Indian fashion designers said they were disappointed at the lack of international buyers who preferred to be at the New York event. Only around 150 buyers turned up this year as against the 800-900 invited by the organisers.

After observing the development of Fashion Weeks in South Africa over the past two years there is no doubt that the various Fashion Weeks are developing into substantial businesses and promotional events for South Africa's fashion industry but there is still a lack of trust, cohesion and single direction between the competitors.

It is imperative that ALL stakeholders come together at a forum to discuss, draft and implement a cohesive strategy to take the industry forward in collaborative manner. Only then will the design industry be recognised and listened to by the SA government and policy developers.

Fashion Weeks can be the instrument to bring this to reality but it needs to be driven I believe from the bottom up – in other words the designer community as a collective must drive such forward motion so that we can in union stitch into the fabric of the globe the strength, skills and creativity we have in South Africa in one voice going in one direction toward growth, development and the sustainability of a very vibrant industry that has the potential of being lucrative every body.

We welcome your thoughts and comments on this and please go to our poll on our front page – right side of your monitor - and vote "Should there be one Fashion Week in South Africa?"


Written by Renato Palmi – ReDress
South Africa, September 2007
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