The SS’22 edition of South African Fashion Week, one of the country’s premier fashion week events, has officially concluded. Taking place from 28 to 30 April in Johannesburg, designers explored a world of vibrant patterns, brilliant prints, and strong silhouettes driven by local traditions and global trends. Loud and confident with vivid colours such as lime green, yellow, and pink, and playful proportions explored through ruching, elongated hems, cut-outs and modern tailoring on familiar silhouettes, the reigning theme was wearable daywear with an edge.

Leading up to the event, devastating floods swept across the KwaZulu-Natal province, taking lives of hundreds of people, damaging infrastructure, and ultimately affecting water and electricity supply – causing designers based in the region to halt production. Despite these challenges, the mood at the shows was festive and spirits were high as the industry joined together in solidarity to celebrate local fashion. Here are the highlights and names to know.

New and emerging talent 

The New Talent Search, an annual design competition for new designers, opened the event with this season's promising lineup of finalists: Nicole Smith of Ipikoko, Mikhile du Plessis of MeKay Designs, Calvin Lunga Cebekhulu of Czene.24, Mimangaliso Ndiko Sixx6, and the 2022 winner, Thando Ntuli of Munkus, who describes her womenswear label as “expressive and sophisticated.” Her winning collection was made up of crinoline-style, dome-shaped skirts and separates that were playfully layered against each other. For example, a structured black and white printed skirt was paired with a waist apron and styled with a matching blouse and half jacket.

 With a background in couture, Kayla Stamboul founded her eponymous label, Kayla Stam, in 2017 with a mission to commercialise high-end fashion and make it affordable for ordinary women. For her SA Fashion Week debut, the designer executed her ideas in two-piece suits and frocks in floral prints while incorporating a touch of opulence into the mix by using feathers as embellishments on the cuff of a white shirt, hemline of a sheath dress and stilettos.

Launched in 2019, women's label Ezokhetho presented a collection of loose-fitting cuts accessorised with chain-like harnesses that work as phone pouches. There were familiar elements, such as tent dresses in contrasting, multi-cloured patterns and exaggerated sleeves, as well as youthful flourishes achieved through the shortened length of a striped mini dress and a denim mini skirt with long straps on both sides.

 Championing a similar kind of style that involves covering up in elongated sleeves, Fikile Sokhulu channelled a casual aesthetic of fluid, nonrestrictive silhouettes and tender lines inspired by the African daisy. Feminine touches appeared in the form of wiggly lettuce hemlines on a lime green wrap top and a black skirt with a revealing slit. In addition, the sleeves of a monochromatic tiered dress and a periwinkle coloured top were gathered, enhancing the movement and appearance of both garments. With frills and carefully placed layering, Sokhulu’s soft detailing alluded to her vision for a delicate and organic offering.

Elsewhere, Durban-based androgynous designer, Sipho Mbuto, emphasized the art of textural layering and deconstruction. Moving on from last season’s collaboration with Italian designer Alessia Dovero under the Fashion Bridges initiative, his offering for SS '22 was understated. Approaching his collection with delicacy, there were kaftan-style pieces and kimonos in neutral shades, garments with frayed edges, mesh overlays, and patches of fabrics sewn as strips on separates. Backstage, Mbuto revealed that he had created his own textiles using natural fabrics like cotton. “Our core elements are sustainability and working with natural fabrics,” he revealed to me. “[This season] was about bringing different fabrics together to create something artisanal with [unique] textures,” he continued.

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Established designers, tested methods 

Palesa Mokubung, founder of womenswear label, Mantsho, directed her attention on grand silhouettes, pleating, and strong graphic prints that are designed in-house – all of the key elements her community loves about her brand. A multi-coloured floor-sweeping dress styled with a pleated top and bow-tied headwear opened the show, followed by a stunning full skirt in varying shades of yellow and a sleeveless dress with face motifs on the front. Now that Mokubung has mastered a winning design formula with her empowering, feel-good clothing, she’s decided to venture into homeware with the launch of Mantsho Lifestyle.

For Loxion Kulca, a streetwear brand that makes clothes for women, men and children, dance and music is an integral part of their showcases. This time around, the brand opened with a dance performance that combined voguing, ballet and other dance styles before sending male and female models down the runway in a range of casual and tailored looks. There were monogram decorated suits with belted jackets in solid bright colours like hot pink and lime green for menswear, and a structured blue jacket with cutout sleeves styled with shorts for womenswear.

After missing the AW '22 season last October, menswear designer and founder of Ephymol, Ephraim Molingoane, presented what he referred to as his “comeback” transition collection. Since establishing his brand in 2002, Molingoane has focused on innovative tailoring using bold colours and reimagining traditional design with modern tweaks. This season the details came in shimmering gold piping on a pair of trousers, and isolated embellishments on a black shirt worn with quilted gold shorts. He then introduced an olive green hybrid suit jacket with bomber sleeves and a pair of trousers with tiered layers. 

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