Division In The Fashion Ranks

With the three major South African Fashion Weeks nearing � the Durban MTN Fashion Week, the Cape Town Fashion Week and the Sanlam SA Fashion Week the debate about the value these Fashion Weeks bring to the development and sustainability of South Africa's fashion industry is beginning to heat up. It is clear that there is division between South African fashion designers with those who support the Durban and Cape Town Fashion Weeks that are managed by one company and the Johannesburg based Sanlam SA Fashion Week.

A survey was conducted with sixty designers that participated in the 2006 Durban and Cape Town Fashion Weeks to ascertain the benefits of their participation in these two events. Only one respondent said that she had not seen any benefit for her small fashion business the remainder of the respondents in various forms said that it was worth their time and energy to participate in either the Durban or Cape Town Fashion Weeks. "The response from the public and press towards my designs was incredible", said one designer. Another said, "I have due to participating in the Cape Town Fashion Week expanded my customer base and have seen a growth in my business."

There were numerous complaints from the respondents directed towards the organizers of the Durban and Cape Town Fashion Weeks, with many young designers saying, "It seems that more assistance and publicity is provided for the better known designers." Another respondent said, "It is frustrating to see that the more established designers being promoted by the organizers whereas new designers were often left out of press meetings."

A number of the respondents said they were frustrated with the continual fighting over territorial control of the Fashion Weeks by the owners. One designer said, "When the owners publicly fight or argue over the merits of three Fashion Weeks in the media it gives the fashion industry a bad name." Many of the respondents said they felt it was imperative for the South African fashion industry to have three major Fashion Weeks in the major South African cities. "There is not a culture of buyers in this country who will travel from city to city to see new designs meet with designers for potential business opportunities", said many of the respondents. Most of the respondents felt that having only one Fashion Week in South Africa would do more harm than good to the fashion industry as they felt it would exclude many young designers and cost far too much in logistics.