South Africa’s most promising designers are showcasing their Spring/Summer 2023 collections at South African Fashion Week (SAFW) for three days until Saturday, 22 April.
For its 26th year, SAFW will present this season’s best designer pieces from 39 collections over 11 shows at Johannesburg’s Mall of Africa.
Of the designers showcasing their work, there are a few whose unique perspectives, visual storytelling and consistency in delivering beautiful, wearable garments make them stand out.
Fikile Sokhulu
Last season, Durban-based designer Fikile Zamagcino Sokhulu showed South Africa what it means to combine concept and culture in clothing that excites. Her collection, titled Black Diamond, was a procession of wearable ruffles, cinched waists and tasteful gold lamé, paired with neutrals.
Along with her cohort of young designers, Sokhulu is a champion of sustainability in the clothing industry. She uses her knowledge of how fabric is produced to choose locally sourced cottons, works closely with her CMT team (cut, make and trim), and is aware of the environmental impact of discarded clothing.
Sokhulu’s signature ruffles and multi-tiered garments landed her brand a spot on the British Council’s Creative DNA: Africa programme, where she joined seven other designers from the continent during London Fashion Week in February.
Boyde
As fashion’s pursuit of tasteful, yet playful, minimalism continues, Johannesburg’s Samkelo Boyde Xaba’s label Boyde stands out. Boyde’s pared-down range is crisp and clean, from their T-shirts to their outerwear.
The pieces take geometric inspiration from contemporary furniture and architecture, a common thread among streetwear labels. The thing about Boyde is the garments are architecturally ambiguous as they are not tied to any specific design style but are everyday classic, casual pieces.
Artclub and Friends
Artclub and Friends by Robyn Keyser produces creative, genderless pieces that stand the test of time. Notably, Artclub and Friends is one of the few South African labels that produces clothing, accessories, as well as shoes, in a sustainable fashion. This season, the Public Eye collection brings footwear by Nike to their show.
“Public Eye speaks to the process and experience of being an artist in the hyper-connected, hyper-visible internet era. It exists to acknowledge the bravery and vulnerability it takes to see this through,” says Keyser.
Artclub and Friends’s narrow colour palette is anything but boring or repetitive, but casts a signature hue over their collections through black, white and pops of cobalt blue. The “made for artists, by artists” ethos is a salute to local creatives in each collection that sports their famous overalls, trench coats and “a” monogrammed socks.
Ephymol
Soweto-born Ephraim Molingoana, the designer behind Ephymol, is a SAFW veteran who participated in his first show in 2002. His garments bring 1950s Sophiatown-inspired bold tailoring to the present. Ephymol’s overarching signature is a “rags-to-riches” vibe.
For the last few seasons, Molingoana’s collections have reflected how those living in Soweto’s hostels embrace patchwork, mending and recycling — a theme major fashion labels are only recently embracing.
For today’s menswear renaissance, perhaps folk should look to Ephymol for those jazzier ensembles, that are daringly rich in colour, silhouette and print. Molingoana’s Autumn/Winter 2023 collection was a nod to contemporary fashion audiences, with gender-fluid pieces that achieve a timeless aesthetic.
South African Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 runs until 22 April, at Mall of Africa, Johannesburg.