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On Sat, Aug 1 we joined fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee at the now fortress-like Union Buildings in Pretoria for a photo shoot starring his SS25 collection. The range celebrates African excellence and enjoyed its inaugural showcase at London Fashion Week on Sun, Sep 15 in association with Vanity Hub Africa and The British Fashion Council.
Coetzee is an award-winning South African fashion designer who has scaled the heights. His work spans creations of couture, bespoke bridal collections, casual wear, and exclusive ready-to-wear garments.
The talented thirty-something was born in Koster, a small farming town in the North West Province. He attended Koster Primary School until Grade Four and was homeschooled further until he went to the North-West School of Design to study fashion design at 16. Completing his studies in 2005, Coetzee was named South Africa's Most Promising Designer at The Cape Town Fashion Festival in 2006 at just 19 years old.
The years to come garnered much success for Coetzee. In 2010 he launched his own company, Gert-Johan Coetzee Pty Ltd and has since shown his collections at South Africa Fashion Week, dressed a long list of high-profile clients for red carpet events, become South Africa's first Swarovski Elements brand ambassador as well as the first mentor for Project Runway South Africa. Coetzee has even branched into the world of scents with his limited-edition signature perfume, Double Platinum.
As early as 2009 he has been paying it back with the ongoing Gert-Johan Coetzee Fashion Bursary. Coetzee also has a track record of using his fashion platform to shine a light on important social issues, particularly those affecting women. These include raising awareness about violence against women, breast cancer, and HIV in South Africa.
Given the choice of models and location for the designer's latest photoshoot, it was evident from the start that this collection goes beyond just fashion – it's a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Coetzee excitedly shared, "For this collection, I really wanted to celebrate African excellence. I have drawn inspiration from life all around me and life all around us, and I wanted to take this story and show it to the rest of the world," he says. "For me, it is my love letter to South Africa, and I’ve pulled out all the stops to showcase who I am as a designer."
The theme of African excellence comes through clearly. Looking at each garment, the attention to local craftmanship is impressive and the collective use of indigenous materials, techniques, textiles, and symbols represents much of South African heritage and culture in all its glory.
The 10 models featured in the photoshoot form the A-Squad, a dance group of people with albinism who bring the designs to life with their vibrant presence and sense of movement.
"Being part of the photoshoot was an incredibly empowering experience," shares one of the models, Tiisetso Boshielo. "It meant a lot to us to be able to represent individuals with albinism in such a high-profile setting. This opportunity allowed us to showcase our beauty, strength, and potential to a wider audience. It was a chance to highlight that we are not defined by our condition but by our talents, ambitions, and contributions to society." As September is Albinism Awareness Month in South Africa, this is especially poignant.
This choice in models for this collection, Coetzee says, is an extension of the message conveyed by his campaign, I can. "This campaign is about breaking barriers," Coetzee tells us. "It shows that anyone, regardless of background, can achieve their dreams and hopes."
This is not the first time he has enlisted individuals with albinism. A true believer in fashion with a conscience, back in September 2012, Coetzee enlisted Thando Hopa – the first woman with albinism to be on the cover of Vogue magazine – to be a model for him and collaborate on future projects.
As people with albinism continue to face marginalisation and discrimination, Coetzee staged this shoot as part of Albinism Awareness Month to make a statement that challenges the harmful beauty standards in our society. The collection and the I can initiative create visibility to promote inclusivity and help combat societal biases based on skin colour.
Clever textile construction, use of materials, and meaningful motifs are part of what makes Coetzee's latest collection so jubilant. These include over 10,000 cowrie shells, cowhide sourced sustainably from local farms, the continued appearance of the woven emblem of an elephant, and over 100,000 African beads meticulously worked into the garments by hand.
Aside from our admiration of the level of local craftsmanship that has gone into creating this collection, the models in the designs completed the picture. We were particularly struck by the juxtaposition of the model’s lighter skin tones against the vibrantly colourful garments, contrasted against the backdrop of the Union Buildings' brown bricked walls.
Speaking of backgrounds, the choice of location makes perfect sense for Coetzee as a designer who celebrates heritage and diversity. The Union Buildings serve as the official seat of the South African government and the Executive Office of the President. They were also the site of Nelson Mandela's presidential inauguration in 1994, marking the end of apartheid and the beginning of democratic South Africa. The site stands tall as an example of South African solidarity and freedom, key themes of Coetzee's S225 collection.
At the shoot, Coetzee told us, "I'm so honoured to be able to shoot my collection here at such a historical landmark that has such meaning and history. I find the things these walls have seen and heard very inspiring."
On the same day, we witnessed a surprise visit by Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture Gayton Mckenzie, who arrived at the Union Building grounds in his rugby supporters kit en route to watch what would be the first victory by the Springboks over the All Blacks in the 2024 Rugby Championships.
Mckenzie shared his pride over the local craftsmanship that had gone into producing the garments featured in the collection and praised Coetzee for his ability to represent Africa in such unique ways. We could tell by his examination of the collections’ various designs, particularly by the way he questioned Coetzee’s inclusion of certain materials on the garments, that he was pleased by the references, heritage, and culture that the collection holds, and the stories these tell. (Watch: we were delighted to get a shout-out too.)
It was heartening to hear the minister's reflections, and we agree this collection is something special.
Don't miss the opportunity to see Gert-Johan Coetzee's SS25 collection on day one, show four of SA Fashion Week at Melrose Arch on Thu, Sep 26 from 21:30.
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