During a visit to the British, French and Italian fashion weeks in 1984, I realised that the fashion industries of these major centres were driven solely by creative designer input.
At that time, apart from political isolation, one of the challenges for the South African designer with an eye on the international circuit was not design skill, but the ability to deliver quality and quantity. International markets demand big orders, and in 1984 that forced local designers on to the sideline. Thank goodness for change. By the end of the 1980s, the tide had begun to turn. Niche markets began to emerge. In South Africa, group fashion-consciousness took a back seat, and an exciting new consumer emerged — a consumer who demanded the right to expression.
As an established fashion producer, and through frequent exposure to European Fashion Weeks, I concluded that if South African designers were to develop an identity that reflects the country, they needed to show their collections jointly on an open platform that, despite relatively strong design force, did not exist in South Africa. But designers were not representative of the people of South Africa. Their collections were insular, aimed mainly at a dedicated client base. An open forum like Fashion Week was required, where designers could meet and network with other players — clients, buyers, consumers and the media, in the important game of fashion.
Lucilla Booyzen is the director of Sanlam South African Fashion Week