From its new home in Melrose Arch, South African Fashion Week (SAFW) is set to dazzle with its Autumn/Winter 2025 showcase from Thu, Sep 26 – Sat, Sep 28, 2024. Book your tickets here.
This highly anticipated event on the fashion calendar runs for three days and features 13 shows celebrating 40 collectionsfrom emerging talents and established designers. As a premier fashion platform in the country, SAFW leads the way in highlighting the latest trends and designs, and is always an event we look forward to. (If you're attending this year, best practice your air kissing and start fretting over what to wear.) Ahead of the fashion festivities, we've scoured the scene and found 10 labels that truly stand out in this year's offering.
Artho Eksteen's flowing frocks and cosy knits. Photo: Isabella Devine.
Cape Town-based fashion designer Artho Eksteen draws inspiration from nature and the arts to craft fashion pieces that transport wearers into his imaginative realm, characterised by exotic textures, vibrant flora, and eclectic energy. He launched his eponymous label in 2021, showcasing his signature surrealist style, which earned him aMr Price New Talent Search win at SA Fashion Week that same year. His upcoming collection, Pond, is inspired by the serene yet dynamic beauty of rivers, ponds, and streams, exploring freshwater landscapes that capture both their tranquil essence and the delicate balance of nature.
Catch Artho Eksteen at SAFW on Thu, Sep 26 – Day 1, Show 2.
It's all about community craftmanship and comfortable style at ALCA, the label of Amanda Laird Cherry. The meticulously crafted garments are for those with discerning tastes. This minimalist, ready-to-wear brand bypasses traditional seasonality to present a selection of mix-and-match basics in a neutral colour palette. Laird Cherry is no stranger to SA Fashion Week, having made her debut in 1999. Since then, her fashion lines have been celebrated for infusing personal and political narratives into each piece. Her existing collections also feature an impressive selection of plus-size options. As a firm believer in functional fashion, ALCA has three broad categories of clothing shapes: masculine, feminine, and unisex. While the brand is based out of Durban, you can find ALCA at The Space in malls around Joburg.
See ALCA's showcase on Thu, Sep 26 – Day 1, Show 1.
A striking green 'Kwena Asante' from Mantsho's lifestyle collection. Photo: Mantsho.
For her eye-catching designs and interesting use of textiles, Mantsho founder Palesa Mokubung caught the eye of H&M – becoming the first African designer to collaborate with the brand on a collection sold in flagship stores and online worldwide. Out of her Victoria Yards studio Mokubung creates memorable pieces that feature bold prints, vibrant colours, and flattering silhouettes, and are distinctly South African. The brand was established in 2004 and has acquired a large following among women seeking clothing with aesthetic appeal that's comfortable enough to wear daily. In her AW25 collection titled Mosa, the designer approaches her work from a deeply personal and reflective space to encapsulate the multifaceted journey of motherhood. Soft and delicate 100% cotton pieces make up this collection, yet they are not without an edge.
Mantsho's new collection Mosa will take the runway on Sat, Sep 28 – Day 3, Show 2.
Polar Personal, an AW24 collection by Michael Ludwig. Photo: SA Fashion Week.
Based in Cape Town, Michael Ludwig Studio is a contemporary luxury brand inspired by psychology and identity. The studio will unveil its latest collection after a successful showcase at Milan Fashion Week supported by SA Fashion Week, Vogue Italia, and Afro Fashion Week Milano.Renowned for its work with innovative and modular design, the brand continues to make waves as a Woolworths Youth Maker for 2024. The studio's limited edition collection, Circular Criticism, takes its conceptual inspiration from the fact that criticism can come from within as well as external sources. It features unique fabrics such as embroidered cotton, locally woven materials, and eco-printed denim.
Circular Criticism will be showcased on Thu, Sep 26 – Day 1, Show 2.
Clashing geometric prints in NGINGU's lively Jozi collection. Photo: NGINGU.
Busisiwe Buthelezi is the designer behind contemporary African fashion label NGINGU, offering ready-to-wear fashion for men and women. The brand's name means 'I am' in isiZulu, underpinning a powerful message relating to self-expression and cultural pride articulated in Buthelezi's creative vision. The Jozi collection was featured at SA Fashion Week earlier this year; a reflection of the city of Johannesburg, its daily joys and challenges. A striking aspect of NGINGU's aesthetic is a play on geometric patterns and textile printing, while the brand's choice to include locally-sourced materials is critical to reclaiming local production spaces and cultivating local fashion models.
NGINGU will showcase its AW25 collection on Fri, Sep 27 – Day 2, Show 3.
It's all in the details with Potrends' collection, Behind the Surface. Photo: Potrends.
A Joburg brand founded in 2019, Potrends designer AkaliFaith specialises in wearable art, collaborating with top illustrators to create stunning original prints. Born in Nigeria and inspired by various African cultures, Faith's latest collection draws particularly from traditional dances, such as those of the Zulu people. The Village range tells the story of a fictional African village, with each piece embodying a unique character and citizen. You can find Potrends in-store at La Familia Street Culture in Sandton.
Potrends' Village collection comes to SAFW on Fri, Sep 27 – Day 2, Show 4.
Jesmine Davids and her collection Coffee for Rebirth. Photo: Rebirth.
Established in 2018, Joburg brand Rebirth offers unisex, streetwear-inspired fashion for everyday comfort and leisure use. As the name suggests, rethinking conventional design techniques is critical to achieving the brand’s sustainable fashion mission. In 2023, Rebirth was named the winner of Tailors by Ellese, a competition raising consciousness around sustainability within the fashion industry. The winning range of upcycled, ready-to-wear garments showcased the resourceful, experimental approach the brand's creative director and head designer Jesmine Davids has come to be known for. Rebirth's new AW25 collection Mixed Masala comes to SA Fashion Week as part of the Mr Price Scouting Menswear initiative, drawing inspiration from the sacred scarf worn by Muslim women and drag racing in Soweto. As such, the range is a joint ode to Davids's cultural and religious roots.
See Mixed Masala at SAFWon Sat, Sep 28 – Day 3, Show 1.
SinChui (pronounced ‘sin-chewy’) is a Cape Town label created by Robyn Agulhas. Emerging from her graduation collection at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), SinChui’s ascent in the fashion world has been lightning-fast. In 2019, Agulhas was chosen for the Design Indaba Class of 2020 and shortlisted for the Global Design Graduate Online Showcase in partnership with Gucci. SinChui was later crowned champion of the 2023 Mr Price Scouting Menswear competition at SAFW for its AW24 collection (a love letter to Agulhas’s childhood, inspired by her footballer father). Set apart by an innovative use of materials and unconventional design approach, global street style, music, and Agulhas's ancestors from District Six – who played a significant role in Cape Town's textile industry – count among the brand's inspirations.
SinChui returns to SAFW for its AW25 collection reveal on Sat, Sep 28 – Day 3, Show 1.
A showstopper look from VICTORI's AW24 collection. Photo: @michellekperkins.
From being worn by Bridgerton queen Golda Rosheuvel to having back-to-back showcases at South African Menswear Week, VICTORI founder Victoria Ongansie is doing her best to ensure that streetwear does not die. Expertly crafted and at times making use of recycled fabrics, her collections are a riot of pattern and colour. Ongansie champions slow fashion, focusing on quality and timeless designs that are made to last. For her fresh AW25 collection Summit Flow, the Cape Town-born designer has drawn inspiration from hip-hop and skiing as activities symbolic of self-expression and freedom.
Catch the Summit Flow collection on Sat, Sep 28 – Day 3, Show 1.
Stand-out looks from WAALID at SA Fashion Week 2022. Photo: WAALID.
After debuting at SA Fashion Week in 2022, WAALID (the self-titled brand of Mohammed Waalid) is a relative newcomer on the fashion block. A Mr Price Scouting Menswear finalist, WAALID's AW25 collection The Sport of Kings pays homage to 16th-century Mughal polo attire with contemporary silhouettes and deconstructed Indian style motifs, all reimagined within the realm of modern streetwear. Operating for less than two years, the Sandton-based designer's label is for fashion lovers – much like himself. These aren't garments to tuck away for special occasions, but clothing that's a pleasure to wear daily.
The Sport of Kings makes its SAFW debut on Sat, Sep 28 – Day 3, Show 1.
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