The recently concluded AW23 season of South African Fashion Week felt like the event's busiest edition in a while. Following a calendar filled with catwalk shows, educational talks by both local and international experts, an exhibition, and a sewing competition for design students, the event highlighted the diversity and innovation of the local fashion industry.

Held on October 20 - 22 in Johannesburg, South Africa, both new and seasoned designers combined strong creative energy with a commercial appeal – stretching their abilities to new lengths while staying true to their ethos. During the shows, there was an undeniable element of excitement despite numerous delays throughout the three days caused by country-wide power cuts. But not even that challenge could mess with the optimistic spirit of the creative crowds and bold energy that took over the venue.

Diversity and inclusion took a new turn too, with designers featuring more plus-size models and different body types to showcase their garments.

Top Trends to Know

Monochrome

Monochromatic looks dominated the shows this season with designers sending models in optimistic head-to-toe brights like orange, pink, and chartreuse. At Michael Ludwig Studio, orange came in breezy sleeveless dresses while design duo, Erre, focused on size-inclusive and flexible loose-fitting frocks in rose pink and fire orange. At Munkus we saw the trend in the form of a light purple tailored suit with a cropped jacket and gloves. Dedicating the collection to the founder's mother, it was a delight to witness the progression of the brand from last season.

Statement sleeves

Inspired by the organic shapes found in nature and the idea of femininity, Fikile Sokhulu presented brilliantly ruched sleeves in bigger and more dramatic shapes than ever before. Flexing her aptitude, Sokhulu was more adventurous with colour and materials too – introducing garments crafted from a shimmering gold foil-like fabric. Meanwhile, womenswear brand, Rubicon, presented layered sleeves that added a sense of volume and movement to their wallpaper-inspired printed clothing. At Amanda Laird Cherry and Loxion Kulca sleeves came with slits that revealed different parts of the arm.

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Uniform Meets Sportswear

A majority of new and upcoming brands explored the idea of sports-inspired dressing for different occasions. There was a tailored green blazer worn with matching shorts for Refuse Clothing, this year’s winner of the Scouting Menswear Competition and one of the ones to watch. Vanklan‘s eccentric spirit saw the brand mix clashing dress styles and fabrics.

This offbeat vibe was perhaps best seen in a look that featured shiny gold pants worn with green shorts, a black hoodie with a graphic print, and a varsity jacket with blue sleeves. In contrast, Ntando XV’s restrained collection championed minimalist and genderless clothing consisting of leggings and tunic-style tops with decorative body straps. Unisex brand, Art Club and Friends, offered a sumptuous collection of a long sleeve golfer, shorts and jackets in earthy colours and relaxed cuts.

The Up-And-Coming Designers

The Scouting Menswear Competition finalists brought a much-needed youthful and individualistic spirit into the mix. In addition to the winner mentioned above, the other seven finalists namely Abantu, Czene.24, Foy Bear, Gugu by Gugu, Ipantsula, PLJ X The Breed, and Rebirth SA revived casual dressing and tailoring with luminous prints and patterns while coming up with fresh styling solutions. Some of the highlights from these young brands include a snakeskin skintight jumpsuit worn with a green bomber jacket that has a cut-out back and a helmet as an accessory, easy-to-wear striped knitwear, animated illustrations that added character to “pure” coloured garments, and sports tracksuits.

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Season Highlights

Black Coffee reimagined closet basics in appealing loose-fitting silhouettes, draped detailing and variants of a classic trench coat that came in translucent fabrics and oversized lapels for womenswear. The showstopper was a layered oversized black dress that shed black petals as the model was walking. The look was styled with matching trousers and a headwrap. The brand’s menswear offering was just as appetising with matching looks cut from a similar slouchy fit with incredible workmanship.

Led by an ethereal aesthetic and mood, Amanda Laird Cherry’s deconstructed and exceptionally textured range transported the audience to new worlds. That feeling came from the way a shirt was cut and draped for example, how a sash was casually tied across a denim jumpsuit, or the manner in which a fabric swatch was made to resemble a coral on clothing, as well as the effect of veiled flower boys and girls who made their way down the catwalk, their faces barely visible to the public.

Rooted in familiar design codes, Fikile Sokhulu’s carefully considered looks presented a glimpse of what the brand could potentially look like in the future by balancing new ideas with core brand values.

Newcomer Abantu stood out for their hats, among other things, which looked like the designer had joined two crowns (the part of a hat that covers the head) into one. Gugu by Gugu was another highlight for its clinical colours and whimsical take on quotes, illustrations and graphics. It seemed like the designer had used the clothes as a blank canvas for her to dream, create, and live.