Fashion Week by numbers

Today Fashion Week Africa is back in Sandton – and a lot of hard work goes into the creative celebration.

Today specifically focuses on new talent. Working to the brief of “shaping the future of sustainable fashion” and referencing trends in 2020, participants in this year’s New Talent Search submitted portfolios of seven looks that reflect contemporary shapes, styles and construction with their creative inspiration.

A key consideration was visible evidence of substantial understanding of the requirements of sustainable fashion and the importance of the designer’s role in shaping its future.

But that’s not all. Over the year, South African Fashion Week (SAFW) has kept score – and here’s how they tally up:

One for the first platform on the African continent to commit to spearheading the development of an ecologically-based and sustainable local design culture by 2025. 22 candles on the SAFW cake this year.

32 design schools directly or indirectly involved with SAFW. 36 seasonal showcases staged since inception in 1997. 48 make-up and hair artists booked per season.

106 students volunteer per season.

150 new designers accessed the retail market through SAFW design competitions.

290 models booked per season.

300 designer exhibitors at the SAFW Trade Show over the past nine years as well as dressers booked since inception.

500 designer collections staged over the past 22 years. 6 000 guests at the collections and Cruz Vodka cocktails served per season.