As a rule, it is the norm for a Fashion Designer to decide where he or she will show their Collection only once for that season. You decide whether you want to show in New York, in Milan, in Paris and in South Africa you have Sandton, Cape Town or Durban as your options. Extensive planning goes into play as the Fashion Designer decides on that one important fact of where he or she will be showing.

But in South Africa, Sanlam SA Fashion Week did it slightly different this time round.

The organizers of Sanlam SA Fashion Week gave their participating designers the option of also showing in SSAFW Regional Collections and do a repeat showing of the same Collection in their city of choice: Cape Town (Aug 2, 2006), Pretoria (Aug 10, 2006) or Durban (Aug 17, 2006).

According to Lucilla Booyzen, Founder and Director of SSAFW, “Sanlam SA Fashion Week is proud to be promoting South African fashion design in Cape Town, Pretoria and Durban for its integral to our role of nationally developing and showcasing the finest in local fashion design talent”.

Now isn’t that beating to one's own drum?

Can the international fashion industry learn something from South Africa in this regard? Are the regional Collections something that will work for them? Why have repeats of the same Collection?

How would it be if Valentino applies “this regional concept” and does a repeat show in London or Tokyo? While Chanel chooses Johannesburg and New York as their region of choice? What will the fashion climate be like then? Maybe Africa can set the trend on this one?

Once I got into the swing of been back in Los Angeles, I touched base with Lucilla Booyzen, Founder and Director of Sanlam SA Fashion Week, who added that “we are still busy with the Regional Collections. We did Cape Town last week, Pretoria Collections this week and next week it is Durban. It is a huge success and our audiences are very different in every city. Also, the turnout at each show is really great”.

On that note, what would it be like for Donatella Versace to report back to Milan on how the “Versace Regional Collection” did in Miami? Can South Africa be breaking new ground on the international fashion stage? Or is everyone else too set in their ways? You be the judge!

It’s a wrap

REGIONAL COLLECTIONS Schedules as released by Total-Exposure/SSAFW Media Contact:

Cape Town - Cape Town Daylight Studio

August 2nd, 2006

Designers:

August 3rd, 2006

Designers:

Pretoria – DTI, 77 Meintjies Street, Sunnyside

August 10th, 2006

Designers:

August 11th, 2006

Designers:

Durban - N-Shed in the Passenger Terminal at the Durban Harbour

August 16th, 2006

Designers: