Praise the model at the Arise Cape Town Fashion Week who didn’t let the recession or talks of the sinking local clothing industry get her down. ”She’s got gorgeous boobs. She just bought them,” revealed a behind-the-scenes person at the event, which runs in Cape Town this weekend.
The fashion set is desperately seeking new creative and business plans to counter crunch time at the pay machine.
Precious Moloi Motsepe, one of the forces behind African Fashion International, which owns the event, said ”overall budgets have been cut back and belts tightened”. It shows.
The city’s annual rah-rah gathering has a scaled-down catwalk. Last year’s u-turn ramp was surrounded by double this year’s seating. Now it’s a straight up-and-down march to the flashing bulbs.
The line-up schedule offered a traditional opening night of young guns and closes with a reputable label on Sunday.
Saskia Koerner, label owner and designer of Misfit women’s clothes, entered the event with different eyes. Boutiques have asked Misfit for smaller selections and three big retailers have cancelled orders.
Misfit sells in Cape Town, Bali and Dusseldorf and prices range from R250 to R1 200. It also sells wholesale. Koerner said ”restructuring to small” meant survival.
”We’ve seen factories close because they’re not restructuring to small. Creatively it’s made us think about how to keep our look while making it affordable. We changed to more affordable fabrics and made less hand sequin work. That’s really expensive and people can’t afford it now,” said Koerner.
”We went to Europe and trade shows are dead. The halls are empty. I’m starting to feel that here. I just had my biggest order; I started making the range but the client went insolvent.
”Boutiques are happy to buy small orders and test the market a little. Everyone is feeling more scared, so you have to help them feel confident.
”Some people are still shopping like crazy, but they’re maxing that credit card. I never have cash sales any more.”
Models are also being made to look more matte and less gloss, said head of make-up at the fashion showcase Abie Viljoen.
”Everyone’s cutting down; we’re all sad. This trend started in the US and the UK. This season it’s all matte — the glossy thing is gone,” he said.
”Cosmetic houses also know that people don’t have money. They’re making products that can be used for both eyes and lips. You don’t need to buy two products any more.”
But some things never change — if the rich are buying. Carducci Women’s designer Francois Rall said the design house is doing well ”because we don’t do cheap. People are buying investment clothing that will last a long time. They don’t want whimsical throwaway stuff.”
Carducci Women has been running since 1982 and items range from R500 for a shirt to R4 000 for a suit. Rall said it targets the ”working woman”.
”She makes her money the way she dresses. She needs work clothes — it’s like eating. So I’m assured of sales,” he said.
He said only a few of the company’s 100 boutique stores had dropped orders, while all its retail stores stock the brand.
Rall believes that while the ”clothing industry is sad” right now, the ”sophisticated person understands why they are buying” — so the business won’t die.
Established Cape Town designer Gavin Rajah is another voice that refuses to bow to doom and gloom rhetoric.
”If I hear the word recession one more time I might as well shoot myself. Working in tough economic times brings a whole new dimension to the word budget,” said Rajah.
”I think we should be able to say no to ridiculous budgets. Cheaper is not always better. What happens post-recession?”