Beautiful couture to help children read

High-impact couture glamour and children’s books might not seem like obvious partners, but Coetzee is thrilled by his latest campaign.

“Never judge a book by its cover,” said Coetzee, speaking about his new collection, which was inspired by the TV shows Dallas, Dynasty and the disco glamour of the 80s.

Coetzee has been collecting children’s books and is urging guests at his SA Fashion Week showcase to bring a book to place on the runway before the show starts. The haul will go to Shine Literacy, a non-profit organisation that in 2017 alone is providing literacy support to over 4 500 vulnerable children from low-income communities across 66 schools.

“As a child I battled with dyslexia, which made it impossible for me to succeed in a mainstream school, so I feel for children who cannot read at all,” said Coetzee.

Latest statistics have shown that 29 percent of Grade Four pupils are illiterate and 58 percent cannot read with understanding, mostly due to povertybased deprivations.

Starring in Coetzee’s campaign shoot is his muse, Hopa, who has shot to global fame since the designer offered her the modelling opportunity that launched her career.

Hopa, who will soon be seen gracing the pages of the legendary Pirelli calendar with the likes of Lupita Nyong’o and Naomi Campbell, said she was delighted to feature in Coetzee’s new campaign.

“It helps us reflect on the importance of literacy as an empowering tool and how we should never fall short in encouraging it,” said Hopa.

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