South africa fashion week shake-up

The fashion landscape of South Africa is set to receive a major re-shuffle with the announcement of two new annual world-class fashion weeks. The events fill a long standing gap in the fashion calendar for an Autumn/Winter fashion week to bring South Africa in line with the international fashion calendar. The Autumn/Winter Fashion Weeks will take place in March 2007 under the titles: Cape Town Fashion Week and Jo’burg Fashion Week. The events will run within days of each other to allow greater access by foreign media and trade. Both events will be produced by the current organizers of Cape Town Fashion Week, Leisureworx.

The move was prompted by pressure from designers and fashion media to have a platform for Autumn/Winter collections and represents a coming of age for South African fashion; finally giving local designers a platform to compete on a global level year round. The two new dates on the fashion calendar compliment the three major Spring/Summer fashion weeks that take place annually between June and July and the organisers will be looking at further synergies between all of these events.

Dates for the next Cape Town Fashion Week (Spring/Summer) are 11th – 15th July.
www.nokiacapetownfashionweek.co.za

Words Dan Pinch