TOP SA DESIGNER TO TAKE ON WORLD
LOCAL fashion designer and couturier Gert-Johan Coetzee has one thing on his mind this year – world domination.
His eye-catching designs have been such a hit in South Africa that he now plans on transcending borders by taking his creations to the rest of Africa, and other parts of the globe.
“The US has been knocking for a while, so this year there might be something in the pipeline,” he said this week.
Although he was not yet at liberty to disclose particulars of his international projects, Coetzee said he was also looking forward to entering the rest of the African fashion market.
“I have participated in Nigeria Fashion Week and this year I plan on going back.”
He also hoped to work in Angola.
“Africa is the place to be,” he insisted.
The top South African designer also wants to make a difference in the world through his work. “When something bothers me, I use fashion to address it.”
This is not a new initiative as for the past few years, Coetzee has dedicated his collections to various issues and social ills. He worked with Shout, a non-profit organisation (NPO) founded by musicians Danny K and Kabelo Mabalane.
He also dedicated a fashion collection to the legacy of the former president Nelson Mandela and another to albinism awareness.
More recently, he not only dedicated his latest collection, showcased at the SA Fashion Week in October, to the promo- tion of childhood literacy, but also collected books for youngsters with Shine Literacy, an NPO that helps invest in the future of education.
Apart from using his designs to raise awareness, Coetzee also worked hard to put South African fashion on the international map.
“We have 11 official languages and so many different cultures which makes us completely different from any- thing that’s already out there.”
Despite the progress, Coetzee believed a lot more needed to be done to improve the local fashion industry which he insisted should be supported by all stakeholders involved.
You can catch some of Coetzee’s most recent creations at the 134th edition of Cape Town’s Sun Met today.
He will be dressing media personality Minnie Dlamini and Miss SA Adé van Heerden.