See Fashion



Winter’s chill may still be in the air but the fashion set are already anticipating the first flush of spring and the coming of the local calendar’s hottest fashion event – the Sanlam SA Fashion Week’s 08/09 Spring/Summer Collections from 27 – 30 August at the Sandton Convention Centre.



As can be expected, the designer line-up is a cutting-edge blend of the country’s favourite design talents including Abigail Betz, Story, Mantsho, Stoned Cherrie, Clive Rundle, House of Olè and Terrence Bray shot through with exciting new names and brands such as NN Vintage by Nhlanhla Nciza, Athi Patra Ruga and Diamond Face Couture, the recently formed collaboration between designer Gert-Johan Coetzee and high-profile businesswoman, Uyanda Mbuli.



Programme highlights include the collaboration between the AuDITIONS international gold collection and celebrated floral couturiers, Franz Gräbe and Coenie Hatting that will fuse art, jewellery, flower and fashion design in a show featuring sixteen haute couture gold pieces from AngloGold Ashanti’s AuDITIONS collections accessorised with sixteen organic flower dresses, as well as the Five Roses show where Hermanna Rush, Mantsho and Miss Scarlett will each incorporate one-off designer dress that captures the brand’s essence, in their collection.



Other sponsors that will be associated with designer collections are Magnum who will be collaborating with KLUK CGDT and Japanese cult car brand, Subaru who has come on board with Lunar.





Buy Fashion



Added to the mix is SSAFW’s biggest-ever designer retail space where the public will be able to get first dibs on their favourite designer’s best pieces straight off the runway. Discerning shoppers wanting to stretch their summer wardrobe budget with a few key purchases will be spoilt for choice with over 120 stalls selling the season’s most delectable garments, accessories, jewellery and shoes.



The retail floor will also include a bespoke Menswear Lounge with ranges by both new and established menswear designers as well as the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) stand which will offer the full range of fashion products designed and produced exclusively as part of the DAC Fashion Fusion collaboration between crafters and designers. The SODA range, SSAFW’s own in-house range of designer/crafter garments and accessories developed by Anna-Marie Pretorius and Izanne Vorster, which is a spin-off collection from the DAC project, will also be available for sale.



 

2008 Elle New Talent Award winner to be announced at Summer collections

 



The Elle New Talent show which annually announces the country’s brightest new kids on the design block, will again kick of the summer collections.

This year Elle has teamed up with Mr. Price with the result that the winning designer will get the opportunity to design a commercial range under the mentorship of Mr. Price in addition to the customary prize of a full collection show at next year’s SSAFW 2009/10 summer collections.



The six finalists for the 2008 Elle New Talent Award are:



– Tanja Demby

– Anisa Ami Mpungwe

– Khumo Moshimane

– Stephan Marin

– Robyn de Klerk

– Marize Malan



For a feast of the best in local style, catch the July issue of Elle which has selected the hugely talented Lisa Jaffe of Guillotine as its Designer of the Month and also features twelve other SSAFW stalwarts on its fashion pages.



 



Arts and Culture Fashion Fusion Project – 5 years old and growing strong



 

Buy-in to the SSAFW and Department of Arts and Culture Fusion Project gained significant momentum this year with the commitment by several top designers – Abigail Betz, Amanda Laird Cherry , Terrence Bray, Colleen Eitzen, Gina and Caren Waldman of Two, Nkensani Nkosi of Stoned Cherrie, Jacques van der Watt and Danica Leppen of Black Coffee, Robyn Lidsky of Ruby and Sanche Frolich of Story, to a three-year collaboration with a core group of the most skilled crafters to have emerged over the years. Together they will develop two product ranges annually – winter and summer – which will be sold through the participating designers’ retail networks.

The last round of workshops to finalise product concepts for summer are currently underway in each province as follows:



– Abigail Betz – Free State

– Amanda Laird Cherry – Gauteng

– Terrence Bray – KwaZulu Natal

– Colleen Eitzen – Eastern Cape

– Two – Northern Cape

– Stoned Cherrie – Limpopo

– Black Coffee – Mpumalanga

– Ruby – Western Cape

– Story – North West Province



 



Success Stories we Absolutely Love to Share



 

Three months on and stories of designers still riding high on the success of their winter collections continue to roll in.

Dynamic designer sisters, Caren and Gina Waldman of Two are flexing their export muscle with the launch of TWO COUTURE in Sydney and with their first shipments already hitting the Aussie market.

Their business is booming on the local front too, with new stockists in Port Elizabeth, Grahamstown, Hermanus and Soweto’s Maponya Mall as well as with a range that they are designing for the Zero label that will be stocked in the Zero Degrees stores in Sandton City and Waterfront, Hot Ice, Fab Lab and Fashion Depot. Their full collection can be viewed on www.twotwo.co.za .

Jacky Lucking’s Miss Scarlet winter collection was such a runaway success that she has since expanded her studio with three new members to gear up for a considerably increased summer volume.

Nicole Dersley and Jacqui Corfield of Hermanna Rush saw year on year winter sales double this season. Their stylish efforts also caught the eye of the Shoprite/Checkers Woman of the Year 2008 judging panel who have nominated them in the Arts, Culture and Communication category. Winners will be announced in Cape Town on 31 July 2008. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for amaNtombazane!

And finally, after being a darling of the fashion set for several seasons now, Abigail Betz’s long-cherised dream of her own store has been realised with the opening of the most truly gorgeous outlet in The Mall of Rosebank with partner, Maria Dracatos and husband ,Louis Meyer.

The store carries her full ready-to-wear collection as well as her The Sweet Collection cosmetics but the pièce de résistance has to be the delightful bridal suite with its 17th century armoires, pretty chandeliers and round-the-clock bubbly on ice for personal consultations and fittings with prospective brides.

And despite skinny mid-month purses and recessionary forecasts, sales garnered within the first four trading days, had already paid the month’s rent. Proof, possibly, of the inherent good sense of consumers who, faced with lean budgets, would rather buy a single piece that adds definitive luxe than armloads full of disposables?



 



Samsung Narrows Search for new Models



 



After a series of semi-final regional events around the country, the search for SA’s newest male and female rising star models, has been narrowed down to six finalists in each region. The winning duo will be announced at a gala event in August after which they will get to strut their stuff on the summer collections runway and will also each receive a contract to the value of US $75 000 with top New York agency, Next Models, in addition to featuring in selected Samsung Mobile advertising campaigns.



 



Five Roses Student Design Competition



 

The impressive work of last year’s finalists of the Five Roses Student Design Competition, resulted in them being included again to design accessories for this year’s competition. Together with this year’s finalists, they have been briefed to design an accessory by either using Five Roses products and packaging or including elements of the brand like the signature red colour or the rose idea. The finished designs will be on display at SSAFW where the winning designer will receive a R5000 cash prize. Their accessory will be also used by the Five Roses team for promotional activities in the future.



This year Five Roses will be commissioning ceramic artists Clementina Van Der Walt and Andile Dyalvane to design pieces inspired by the romance of the Five Roses brand. Look out for these at the SSAFW exhibition as they are sure to be something very special.



 



Beauty with a Heart



 

The M·A·C AIDS Fund (M·A·F) made its largest ever, single donation recently with contributions amounting to R1 million to two local AIDS charities. The two charities were Nurturing Orphans for AIDS Humanity (NOAH) which serves more than 33 000 orphaned children in South Africa through its chain of 112 community centres and HOPE Cape Town, a community health worker project combating HIV/ AIDS at community level by training members of disadvantaged population groups to become qualified health workers at their local hospitals and clinics. Both organisations received R500 000 each.

HOPE Cape Town will use the money to pay the salaries and training of three community health workers whilst the NOAH centre in Johannesburg will now be able to implement necessary repairs, set up additional food gardens as well as more nutritional and child development programmes for their young charges.

Since it was established in 1994, M·A·F has grown to become the largest non-pharmaceutical corporate funder of HIV/AIDS initiatives. To date M·A·C Cosmetics has raised $125 million (U.S.) exclusively through the sale of M·A·C’s VIVA GLAM lipstick and lip gloss, all of which has been donated to the M·A·C AIDS Fund. M·A·F SA has until now raised more than R2.3 million for local HIV/AIDS charities. For more information, visit www.macaidsfund.org



 



Redken SA and SSAFW scoop top international award



 

Redken South Africa’s sponsorship of the SSAFW gained them the Best PR/Media Campaign award at the annual Global and Education Marketing Seminar (GEMS) held in New York where Redkenites from 42 countries converged to share best business practice ideas and their vision for the upcoming year.

The accolade, awarded by a seven-member jury that included the general manager of Redken Worldwide, has encouraged Redken South Africa to ensure that its participation in Sanlam SA Fashion Week 2008 grows from strength to strength, says Redken’s general manager, David Bolon.



 



Savvy Money Management – The Way to Beat Tough Times



 

With tough financial climes forecasted globally, a healthy bank balance makes more sense than ever, says Sanlam’s regional general manager, Khanyi Nzukuma, who recommends acquiring the habit of investing a portion of your earnings in order to generate wealth.

According to Khanyi, an investment in shares has repeatedly proved unbeatable with long-term share portfolios in South Africa having grown in value by approximately 25% per year.



An investment in one or more unit trusts where experts make the investment decisions on your behalf, is possibly the most risk-free solution for the novice investor. Sanlam offers a variety of 42 types of unit trusts, in addition to a bigger bouquet of 500 other investment vehicles which vary from general trusts that invest in all the main sectors of the exchange to specialist trusts that invest only in one sector, overseas trusts, trusts that invest only in fixed interest-bearing assets or trusts that guarantee to outstrip inflation over a specific period of time. For more information, contact Khanyi Nzukuma on (011) 778-6311 or e-mail him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.




 



Sanlam to spread’s the fashion message



 



As part of their sponsorship of SSAFW, Sanlam will be embarking on a marketing campaign that will drive the idea of individuality as well as awareness for SSAFW. Look out for interesting mechanisms such as fashionable designs on cars, August Get It magazine featuring SSAFW’s very own Estelle Cooper and Lucilla Booyzen as well as activities around malls and fabulous trendy restaurants and cafés. Watch this space!



 



20 Something presenters go High Fashion



 



eTV’s funky youth programme, 20Something, will get a major fashion infusion with its presenters being dressed by SSAFW designers for summer.

The show, which broadcasts every Wednesday at 20h00, will also ensure that viewers get a steady stream of up-to-minute and behind-the-scenes footage from SSAFW Summer Collections.



 



5FM’s Koula to get the season’s lowdown directly from top designers



 

Get a heads up on what SSAFW’s designers have in store for summer!

Lock into Koula’s show every Tuesday between 7&10 pm for 5FM’s exclusive weekly SSAFW slot where she will be interviewing fashion insiders such as Colleen Eitzen, Ole Ledimo of House of Olè, Abigail Betz, Palesa Mokubung of Mantsho, Clive Rundle, Nkhensani Nkosi of Stoned Cherrie, Terrence Bray and many more! The initiative is brought to you by Sanlam who will also be sponsoring prizes, including R5000 worth of fabulous designer wear vouchers every week.



Look out for details on the official and very stylish SSAFW afterparties hosted by 5FM… taking Fashion “to the Power of 5!”



For more info, go to www.5fm.co.za