Mall of Africa to host South African Fashion Week in October

The 2020 fashion show, which was set to be held in April this year, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now with the number of cases dropping and industries slowly returning to normal, the show must go on.

The SA Fashion Week organisation decided to move their home from Sandton City to a larger facility and recently signed a three-year partnership with the Mall of Africa (MOA) where they will host their first hybrid designer collection in October.    

The fashion collections

SAFW director Lucilla Booyzen explained that the 2020 SAFW Collections are trans-seasonal in line with international trends towards collections that incorporate both cool, and warm weather elements. She said the collections also show a move towards a “slow fashion” ethos of timeless design and sustainable production.

“This hybrid combination of both a digital and live fashion experience allows us to navigate the complexities of trading and doing business effectively while simultaneously being mindful of the safety aspects associated with the pandemic,” said Booyzen.

“While the move towards cleaner fashion production in South Africa still faces many challenges, there is a real commitment from many designers to pursue this necessary transition to a new fashion order. The designer community is predominantly SMME’s, they all employ small contingents of artisans such as seamstresses and pattern makers.”

“It has been a superhuman challenge for these businesses to stay afloat and retain jobs in the absence of any trade or cash flow. This opportunity to showcase their collections in preparation for summer is vital,” she added.

Gert-Johan Coetzee’s show kicks off the South African Fashion Week SAFW SS21 on 22 October 2020.