AllFashion Sourcing, Messe Frankfurt South Africa’s annual trade show for the apparel, textile, footwear and leather industry, will this year be hosted on a virtual platform from 3-5 November due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
An important event on the industry calendar, the exhibition serves to help forge connections between local and international players in the broader textile and fashion value chain.
Instead of postponing the event, the decision was taken to shift AllFashion Sourcing to a digital format to help support southern African manufacturers, retailers and suppliers who are faced with the challenges of doing business during a pandemic and a strained economic climate.
Virtual networking The trade fair, which used to be known as the ATF Expo and Source Africa, was rebranded to AllFashion Sourcing earlier this year, but the event will retain its winning mix of fashion shows, exhibitors, insightful seminar content and networking opportunities, despite being hosted online.
Messe Frankfurt’s artificial intelligence-powered virtual platform boasts intelligent business-to-business matchmaking capabilities linking buyers to relevant sellers. It also allows for scheduled video meetings between visitors and exhibitors and integrated live streaming of seminars.
AllFashion Sourcing show director Kathryn Frew points out that there are important upsides to the event being held virtually this year, especially when it comes to affordability and reach. It allows exhibitors to market products and services in a more cost-effective manner, and attendees save on associated costs like travel and accommodation.
The AllFashion Sourcing virtual platform will also be live for 3 months, providing lasting value for exhibitors and enabling visitors from around the globe to access the marketplace and seminar content for a far longer period than they would with a traditional exhibition.
Seminar highlights Topics on the agenda during the AllFashion Sourcing 2020 seminar include:
• The state of the African textile and leathergoods industry • Why African fashion matters • Sustainability-led fashion – myth or reality • Womenswear and menswear 2021 trend forecasts by trend analyst Nicola Cooper • AGOA (Africa Growth and Opportunity Act) unpacked – the trade benefits, textile-related categories and partner country benefits • Exporting products to the United States – What U.S. buyers look for • AllFashion Sourcing Cape Town Young Designers Awards 2020 showcase
“The showrooms and seminar content have been carefully crafted to enhance both the exhibitor and visitor experiences and we are really looking forward to engaging on the virtual destination that we’ve put together,” says Frew.
Below, Frew shares more on what the virtual edition of AllFashion Sourcing can offer attendees, and elaborates on the shift to a digital platform and the post-Covid future of events.
AllFashion Sourcing is free to attend and is taking place online from 3-5 November 2020. Click here for registration and more information on the event.
Couture Africa Ltd who are the publishers of Couture Africa Magazine announced nominees of Kenya’s most stylish personalities a few weeks ago. The stylish individuals were grouped in a number of categories including media, entertainment, corporate, politics, and even sports. Having a great understanding and appreciation of the space, the nominees on each of the categories were mostly spot-on.
The list really does cover almost all the well known stylish Kenyans we love such as Charles Njonjo, Chef Ali, Kate The Actress, Diana Opoti, King Kaka, Amina Abdi, Sonia Mehrali, Mulunda Kombo, Joy Kendi, Governor Joho just to mention a few.
The nominations were done by celebrity image consultant Derek Bbanga and media personalities Dr. Ofweneke and Sheila Mwanyigha.
“The Couture Africa Style Awards 2020 Nominees were selected through a vigorous vetting process by our esteemed Nomination Panel with assistance from the Couture Africa Editorial Teams. The focus was on individuals who have a distinct, consistent, and outstanding sense of style,” reads part of the press statement.
Voting officially ended yesterday. Tomorrow October 31st, the winners will be announced at the plush Emara Hotel. The event will also be streamed LIVE to the public on their social media platforms.
Follow the Conversation #CAStyleAwards. Check out the nominees Here
Twyg has announced the finalists of its Sustainable Fashion Awards for 2020. The annual awards celebrate South African designers leading sustainable, ethical, circular and regenerative practices in the fashion industry.
The designers recognised are intentionally improving fashion’s relationship with nature and people and reflect that fashion can be at the forefront of positive ethical, social and environmental change. The winners of this year’s awards will be announced on 19 November 2020.
Judging process The Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards 2020 judging panel includes content creator Kelly Fung; Cyril Naicker, national co-ordinator of Fashion Revolution; Aaniyah Omardien, founder of The Beach Co-op; Desiree Smal, vice dean Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Johannesburg; and Fezile Mdletshe-Mkhize, founder and director of Fezile Fashion Academy.
The judges selected three finalists in each of the Accessories, Trans-seasonal, Nicholas Coutts, Student, Retail and Influencer categories. A fourth finalist was included in the Innovative Design and Materials categories.
The Changemaker Award was not open for nominations. Instead, winners of the Accessory, Innovative Design and Materials, Nicholas Coutts, Trans-seasonal and Student categories will be judged against the criteria set for the Changemaker Award. This category is supported by Country Road which has sponsored R100,000 in prize money to the winner. Country Road’s head designer Maria Rinaldi-Cant will join the panel for the judging of this category.
Twyg consulted WWF South Africa on the criteria for the categories, and the rigorous two-day judging process was independently audited by attorney Elisabeth Makumbi.
2020 finalists Innovative Design and Materials Award
This award seeks to recognise a designer or brand who uses techniques that minimise textile waste through innovative pattern cutting, the use of pre- and post-consumer fabric waste, and / or reconstruction techniques. The award also seeks to recognise a commitment to using sustainable fabrics in a collection.
This award recognises a designer, brand or collection that promotes trans-seasonal and versatile style. It rewards quality garments whose design aspires to be timeless and which are made to last. This category also recognises brands that remain invested in garments after their sale, for example, through the provision of lifetime guarantees or repair services.
Accessory Award
• Ivy Grace • Matsidiso • The Wren Designs
This award recognises an accessory or accessory brand which implements ethical labour practices, limits toxic chemicals and uses sustainable materials to create a quality item and considers end-of-life. Ideally it should be made of compostable materials, but, if not, it should be made using recyclable or recycled materials.
Retail Award
• Chic Mamas Can Do • Convoy • Mungo
This award recognises a retailer or a retailing initiative that enhances sustainability, including pre-loved/gently worn, “swop shops”, garment rental, and similar activities. The award is also open to retailers who support local producers, and sustainable design and manufacturing.
Student Award
• KQ_Made • Loskop • Vanklan
This award goes to a student who has produced a garment or collection that addresses the challenges of sustainability in fashion in the most innovative, beautiful and practical way.
Nicholas Coutts Award
• Beagle & Basset • The Seen Collective • Viviers Studio
This award recognises a designer who uses artisanal craft techniques such as weaving, embroidering or botanical dyeing to make fashion that foregrounds, celebrates and values the skills of the person who makes the garment.
This award recognises a personality who has actively promoted sustainable fashion over the last 12 months and who has sparked relevant conversations. On social media and other platforms, the influencer has explained sustainable issues factually and has cautioned against unsustainable fashion habits. The influencer supports conscious brands while promoting the Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle).
Positive design practices and social impact “The judges’ decisions emphasise exciting directions in fashion such as the made-to-order manufacturing model, trans-seasonal clothing, the upcycling of plastic and textile waste, and increasing the use of handcraft and natural dyes. The attention to collaboration and the healing of our environment is inspiring,” commented Twyg founder and director Jackie May.
In addition to the design practices, the judges appreciated social impact through upskilling and working in collectives.
“We would like to thank the designers and the members of the public for the nominations. And finally from my team and I, congratulations to all the finalists!” said May.
The winners will be announced at a small event (which will be livestreamed) co-hosted with the textile recycling company, Rewoven on Thursday, 19 November 2020 in Cape Town.
Celebrating its 21st year as South Africa’s premier platinum jewellery and manufacturing competition, PlatAfrica has announced 20 finalists in the two categories for this year’s competition, which for the first time focused exclusively on men’s jewellery.
Hosted annually by Anglo American Platinum in partnership with Metal Concentrators and Platinum Guild International (PGI) India, PlatAfrica aims to promote innovation and technical expertise in platinum jewellery design and manufacturing in South Africa.
We’re proud to introduce our #PlatAfrica 2020 finalists! These top 20 professional & student/apprentice finalists have created jewellery that’s “Designed for Men of Platinum”. Winners will be announced during @AFI_SA Joburg Fashion Week on 13 November: https://t.co/WLxpk5AHrqpic.twitter.com/36O33jbbOg
— Anglo American South Africa (@AngloAmericanZA) October 23, 2020
This year’s theme – Designed for Men of Platinum – was developed in consultation with PGI India and was inspired by consumer research that identifies men’s jewellery as a growing demand segment for platinum jewellery, but with a limited product offering.
As PlatAfrica aims to promote platinum jewellery to a broader audience, the competition is partnering with African Fashion International (AFI) to showcase finalists’ pieces as part of Joburg Fashion Week 2020. The winners will be announced during a virtual showcase event on 13 November, with models dressed by leading South African menswear brand, Carducci.
Natascha Viljoen, CEO of Anglo American Platinum, said: “Platinum has been a highly sought after jewellery metal for consumers for decades and we are proud of the many firsts that are being incorporated in this year’s 21st edition of PlatAfrica. For the first time, the competition focuses on men’s jewellery, which is an underserviced market segment. In addition, we are very excited to partner with AFI who have an excellent track record in showcasing the best of African design.
We are also thrilled to be a part of this year’s Joburg Fashion Week and have been very impressed by the quality and creativity of the pieces that have been entered. We hope this year’s competition will serve as a catalyst to encourage more men to buy and wear platinum jewellery.”
Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, founder of AFI said: “PlatAfrica has built a reputation for inspiring creativity and quality in platinum jewellery design in South Africa. What excites me about our partnership with PlatAfrica is the opportunity to develop and grow nascent talent into international excellence, thus contributing to our creative capital as well job creation and economic growth.”
In another first, all the one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces entered for PlatAfrica will be available for sale online. The store will be hosted on the AFI Designer Boutique (https://www.afiboutique.com/) for a limited period and will go live after the show on 13 November.
This year’s finalists are:
Professional category:
Stacy Beukes (Ruth Prowse School of Art); Rob Burton, Emile Pitout & Abdullah Zayd (Platandia); Labi Kapo (Akapo Jewels); Fang-Yu Liao & Aurelien Brandt (MICHL Jewellery & Brandt Adornment); Jane Merrifield (Tuesday’s Child Jewellery Design); Mandlenkosi None & Nnete Mokgothu (Mo Nkosi and Nnete Jewellery Manufacturers); Nihal Shah (Vijay Shah Concepts); Shikant Shah (Shah Jewellers); Christina Toros (Prins & Prins); and Lungile Xhwantini (The Platinum Incubator).
The judges gave a special mention to Rajesh Shah of J Hind Jewellers in this category for producing an outstanding jewellery collection for his entry this year.
Student/ apprentice category:
Ross Kellerman (Cape Peninsula University of Technology); Thembi Maduna (Vijay Shah Concepts); Kgabo Justice Makibelo (The Platinum Incubator); Liam McRobert (Ruth Prowse School of Art); Malefa Phoofolo (Tinsel); Alexander Rawháni (Shohreh Custom Made); Ntsikelelo Shange (Akapo Jewels); Busisiwe Sinini (The Platinum Incubator); Thembelihle Sishi (Durban University of Technology); and Rejoice Lerato Setshedi (The Platinum Incubator).
The list for the 2020 Couture Africa Style Awards is out and heavy weights in the media, music, film and corporate industry will be battling for the prestigious Awards in different Categories.
Citizen TV Swahili news anchor Lulu Hassan has been nominated in the, Most Stylish TV and Radio personality (Female) Category, where she will be competing with; NTV’s Tracey Wanjiru, Amina Abdi Rabar, Talia Oyando, Beatrice Marshall and Jane Ngoiri.
The Male Category for Most Stylish TV and Radio Personality will see KTN’s Jamal Gaddafi face-off with Michael Gitonga, James Smart, Muthee Kiengei, MC Jessy and Miano Muchiri.
The voting process is currently ongoing via castyleawards.com under the slogan “…because life is too short to wear boring clothes”.
The battle for the Most Stylish Entertainer (Male) has been narrowed down to; King Kaka, Otile Brown, Lenana Kariba, Willy Paul, Chimano and Khaligraph Jones.
Full List of Nominees & Categories: Most Stylish Entertainer (Famale)
In the wake of #CoronaVirus and being confined at home, all prospects of enjoying the glitz and glam that is SA Fashion Week soon became a dream more than a reality.
It is the event on my calendar that I anxiously await, relishing in the fashion from both new-comers and well known designers. For the last 3 years, I managed to have the perfect Birdseye view of the best in the business, and I was sure that 2020 wouldn’t disappoint.
That was until Covid-19 hit our shores, harder than the new Versace release or a sale at Louis Vuitton (another pipe dream).
All prospects of the event, which will be celebrating it’s 21st year flew out of my social calendar, because you know, social distancing and no gatherings bigger than 100. And let’s be honest, not even the hottest fashion is worth the risk of this pandemic.
Fashion Week is going ahead, but just a little differently this year.
In the words of Lucille Booyzen, the CEO of Fashion Week: Change, change, change. The thing we embrace and fear with equal measure.
The press release shed light on the recent speech by our President, and with that in mind the team at SAFW made a Plan B for the upcoming Spring/Summer 2020 showcase. And boy is it a plan. A climate-friendly, green-friendly, COVID-19 respectful, digital-only SA Fashion Week. This will be the first of its kind, and it is both smart and bold. Everything we expect from SAFW.
She went further to say, that this state of disaster has in fact paved the way for something unique and beautiful to happen. she goes on saying that it was the push they needed, as they have wanted to push change and the agenda.
Refreshing and relevant new stories from the designers will be told and the sponsors and other stakeholders will all be part of the bigger, global audience.
As the 23rd SAFW, this will indeed be the most important one, taking place 22 – 25 April 2020.
And just like that my excitement is restored. I may not get the chance to dress-up and photo-op, but I can watch it digitally.
Thursday’s opening night of South African Fashion Week (SA Fashion Week) Twenty Twenty Digital Collections, which was the first virtual showcase, was unique and organised.
Even the way the models strutted their stuff on the ramp, which was set up in the parking lot of Mall of Africa, you could see that they were at ease.
Gert-Johan Coetzee was the first to exhibit his latest work titled “Kraal Couture”, a collection inspired by the farms.
With blue and black being the dominant colours, the collection consists of beaded cowl skirts, smart pants with cow prints, a peplum tulle skirt, and ball gowns, some made of plastic.
Under the Diamond Fibre Collections, Mmuso Maxwell, Judith Atelier and Lukhanyo Mdingi brought nostalgia to the runway.
Maxwell presented their “Imbokodo” collection, a range that seeks to challenge the narrative of a woman’s place in society, especially in the African culture.
Some of our favourite pieces from the collection include the forest green side pleat jacket, the asymmetrical olive wrap jacket and matching pants, wool-side mustard pleat dress and the spiral knitted dress made of kid mohair.
Atelier introduced the brand to the luxurious world of mohair, which plays a big part in this collection.
Titled “ I am because we are”, the range includes appliqué skirts and dresses, with red and blue being the dominant colours and sometimes fused to create purple pieces.
In collaboration with Ginger Maggie, they also presented their SS21 jewellery collection using fine details such as macrame tassels, copper rings, polymer clay and copper rods that have been combined to create a unique new range.
Lukhanyo Mdingi presented a monochrome collection, rich in brown. His statement pieces include a sleeveless bike jacket made of felted kid mohair and pure merino wool blend gilet. Titled “Relic”, the collection is an extension from his previous works.
“The collection is an extension from what we’ve created in the past. The true provenance of what we do is that we’re always looking at the essentials and we’re always looking at our archives and that stems from really trying to execute what good design means to us because that’s what inspired us,” said Mdingi.
The Research Unit followed with their “Transformative” collection. As a brand that usually focuses on handbags, they collaborated with handweavers and the beaders from Kids Positive to push boundaries.
About the collection that had lots of coding, Erin-Lee Peterson, the founder of the brand, said: “We tried to push the boundaries as much as we could. Not just make it look African or beaded, or weaved, but we created shorts out of the handwoven scarf. We took our beadwork and created morse-code out of it. The smiley face on one of the tops was made through thinking about African masks, such as the one that has the six eyes”.
The range also included micro sling bags, travelling bags, as well as beach bags.
Paying homage to the Indian culture, Etka Kalan of Ekta played with colour and geometric shapes to create unique patterns.
On the inspiration behind the collection, she said: “My latest collection is called ‘Who am I’? It’s an exploration of identity and how we see ourselves. If you look at each person, their environments, their family life, their ethnicity, as well as the country where they live in, all plays a specific role in how they see themselves.
“I looked at my life and upbringing, taking being a South African Indian, loving being South African, but also deep-rooted into Indian culture. My collection looks at formlessness, as well as form. I took a sari, which is 5 metres of fabric, once wrapped into the wearer, takes shape and a form. Then taking this complete structured shirt and structured clothes such as a shirt and trousers, which is a complete western concept and fusing the two cultures to create a new collection and a new form.”
Closing the show was Helon Melon with a subtle, collection of white dresses. Titled “All Dressed Down and Everywhere To Go”, she had the lockdown in mind when creating the collection. To add some colour, she defined it with neon stitches and some art inspiration from Mary Sibande.
When asked why she called in “All Dressed Down and Everwhere To Go”, Melon said: “During the lockdown, we all dressed down. And the most exciting thing is that it is a dress downrange, but you can dress it up however you like. There are lots of whites, I’ve done everything in white cotton and added a few accent colours to the range. Lots of dresses, I’ve done a very chick cashmere suit, and I had to put it in because of what we’ve been through. It’s comfortable with South African influences in it, from the house that I saw in the Transkei over 20 years ago to our fabulous SA artists like your Mary Sibande.”
Beatrace Angut Oola discussed the African fashion industry with female bosses Omoyemi Akerele and Roberta Annan on the newly launched podcast, Fashion Africa Now.
With years of experience in the African fashion industry, Akerele and Annan agree there is a need for collaboration and infrastructure amongst resident Africans.
Akerele said in a statement: “African fashion is not a trend. It’s here to stay. Not just a philosophised and a romanticised movement… There are people whose lives depend on this ecosystem.”
#1 EPISODE 21 OCTOBER 2020
Female Bosses of Fashion in Africa: Omoyemi Akerele & Roberta Annan
Listen in to a candid and fiery conversation Beatrace Angut Oola has with Omoyemi Akerele, live in Lagos, the highly sought-after driving force for much of Nigeria’s fashion industry; and Roberta Annan, with a strong business development background who kickstarted her place in fashion in the UN, and live in Accra.
With years of experience in the African fashion industry, these formidable women agree on the need for infrastructure and collaboration amongst resident Africans and in the diaspora. “African fashion is not a trend. It’s here to stay. Not just a philosophised and a romanticised movement… There are people whose lives depend on this ecosystem” (Omoyemi). So we ask you, what is African fashion?
Introducing Fashion Africa Now’s Podcast
The first episode of Fashion Africa Now Podcast will drop soon, and Beatrace Angut Oola will be airing every second Wednesday. Here’s a quick taste of what’s to come. Stay tuned…
The ‘fast’ fashion industry is responsible for abominable levels of water consumption, pollution, and waste. Enterprising entrepreneurs in South Africa are looking to natural materials and upcycling to make every-day clothing more sustainable.
What are you wearing? Examine your outfit as you read this. Maybe a T-shirt or a trendy new dress. Denims, perhaps? Or more likely a stretchy pair of sweatpants and socks now that we’re all mostly working from home.
‘Fast’ fashion makes clothes-shopping more affordable but at an increasingly environmental cost. According to a 2018 United Nations report, “the global fashion industry produces 20 percent of global wastewater and 10 percent of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping”. Then there’s textile dyeing, pegged as the second-largest polluter of water globally. Did you know it takes around 7,570 liters of water to create a pair of jeans?
Step one in sustainability: Reduce. Then reuse and recycle. One antidote to fast fashion is to shift away from seasons. Pre-pandemic, big-name brands would launch collections between four and six times year, with fashion houses like Zara reportedly introducing more than 20 different collections a year.
Cristina Rovere is the founder of environment-friendly swimwear and wetsuit brand, Atlas Label. “We do not make any seasonal collections… and we encourage everyone who owns an Atlas Label product to consider repairs as a first option. We believe in making better choices and in taking responsibility for what you purchase. Use it, love it, care for it. Repeat.”
A love for surfing (and thus the ocean) led Rovere to create wetsuits that are better for the planet. “As surfers, we see the amount of rubbish first-hand on the beach. It’s a push to start making better choices,” she tells FORBES AFRICA. Typically, wetsuits are made from a kind of rubber called neoprene, a synthetic polymer derived from petroleum, but her Japanese-inspired suits use limestone neoprene (rubber derived from crushed limestone) instead. “It has incredible technical properties and can be repaired many times over.”
Generally speaking, natural materials are better for the environment, but it’s not a straightforward argument. Cotton, for example, is not a prominent pollutant but has downsides in terms of labor and land. Lorè Botha co-founded HempLove in April 2019. “Based on our research, hemp requires ten times less the amount of water and half the amount of land than cotton. Our slow collection entails that all the garments and textiles are dyed using plant waste sourced from farmers and restaurants in South Africa.”
Such natural materials are not new on the fashion scene, but they are increasingly being used from head to toe. Launched in 2014 by a family of milliners, Simon and Mary hats are made from 100% wool felt and hemp. (They are also part of a tree-planting project with South African reforestation organization, Greenpop and use rainwater to save roughly 30,000 liters per month).
Laduma Ngxokolo has also been using local mohair, and merino wool since 2012 for luxury knitwear brand, Maxhosa Africa, and Davie Hutchison founded bamboo-blended Sexy Socks in 2014. “Sexy Socks was, I think, one of the first social enterprise brands in the South African market, and we have always been eco-
conscious.” The colorful socks are not only made from sustainable and biodegradable materials but also have social impact. For every pair of Sexy Socks bought, one goes to a child in need.
When natural materials aren’t used, clothing clogs the system. According to American Vogue, “an estimated 50 million tonnes of clothing is discarded every year, and most of it will not biodegrade in a landfill”.
Makhosazane Rosa Sekgwama, has come up with an innovative way to combat such fashion waste. “We use recycled materials from the local clothing industry that would otherwise be discarded. Local factory offcuts become the yarn that we use to crochet all our products,” Sekgwama tells FORBES AFRICA.
Her brand, ROSA Handmade in SA, made The V&A Waterfront’s ‘100 Beautiful Things’ list and consists of woven rugs, lovingly-made baby baskets and handbags. However, being green comes with its challenges.
“We rely on yarn wholesalers who directly source from the clothing factories making upscaling impossible as there is a limit of each color we get from them. We also avoid dyeing materials ourselves, which would enable us to make more products of the same color range but pose an environmental hazard.”
Back in Cape Town, growing interest in Atlas Label wetsuits led Rovere to investigate a more affordable offering for ocean-lovers. “Our swimwear is made of Econyl, regenerated Italian nylon made from post-consumer waste, including ghost fishing nets removed from our oceans. Econyl is a certified product, and we have a signed communications agreement with them, which keeps us in constant contact and sets us apart from many other businesses.”
Nombuso Nomzamo Khanyile from Afrikan Passions Designs tells FORBES AFRICA that footwear also springs from waste. “We upcycle discarded car tyres and use them as sandal soles, reducing car tyres as environmental pollutants. The majority of our customers are attracted to us mainly because we upcycle.”
Indeed, this kind of thinking is no longer niche. Sekgwama says: “The competition is high. Both new and existing retailers are changing to be more eco-friendly, attract discerning consumer attention and gain preference. The scourge of Covid-19 [also] opened more eyes to the need to support local businesses and authentic products manufactured locally.”
Rovere agrees and says “South Africa is still catching up, but with the internet being such an open asset to everyone, the global movement for consumerism has definitely shifted towards more conscious purchases. We even see changes in the companies that used to create fast fashion, so overall knowledge around sustainability is increasing”.
South African Fashion Week (SAFW) has 600 local designers on the database, according to the event’s founder and director Lucilla Booyzen. “There are a lot of grey areas around sustainability for our SA Fashion Designers. None of them, as far as I know, are fully sustainable, as it is very difficult for any company to be fully sustainable.”
Zippers, underwires, buttons and packaging can all hamper sustainability efforts, but has there been a rise in eco-conscious clothing on the runways? “Yes, definitely,” Booyzen says. “This season, all the designers at SAFW are showing what we call slow fashion collections based on up-cycling, recycling and no waste”.
Likewise, the winter collections of more accessible household brands prove traditional retailers are catching on too. Both K-Way and Woolworths revamped their fashionable puffer jackets, filling them with recycled plastic fibers instead of duck down. Buyers at K-Way note, however, that the adoption rate to sustainable wear in South Africa is generally lower than the rest of the world and recycled synthetic has had a slow start.
Conscious fashion has become increasingly important in South African retail, and waste reduction on a large scale would help to close the loop and create a better circular economy. If local fashion can become more sustainable and effectively reduce the load on South African landfills, all the better. Especially given that the City of Johannesburg’s Environmental, Infrastructure and Services estimate the city has three years before landfill sites reach full capacity.
“Once you dip into sustainability, it becomes a part of your life,” says Rovere, likening the movement to a continuous journey. “It’s about making better choices. One item of sustainable clothing might just lead to better choices at the supermarket. It leaves a lasting impact on your purchasing decisions going forward.”
Mia Kora has been “honoured and humbled” by the impact of its ‘Fabric Map of Africa’. The company, which usually offers a collection of scarves and shawls centred around the concept of ‘wearable art’ has this time created art centred around a collection of fabrics from each of the continent’s countries from Egyptian cotton to kikoi, shweshwe and more.
Mia Kora founder Priya Shah, who grew up in Kenya, says the map was born during lockdown. “It was created as a mood board to inspire my next collection based on my love of African textiles and patterns. It took time to evolve, and I was constantly editing images until it was aesthetically pleasing and showed a range of fabrics.
“The map is a visual representation of the richness and beauty of African fabrics. It is an artistic reflection. Art sees no political boundaries, cast, religion or gender. Art in its truest form speaks across all barriers and lines. The map’s aim is to spread positivity and joy.
“My dearest hope, as an African, is that this map raises worldwide appreciation and acknowledgment of African textiles and its high standing in influencing fashion and art.”
She says the Map of Africa was inspired by the fabric Map of India, and her desire to show how beautiful and rich the African continent is. “Truly fortunate to have been brought up in Kenya in the midst of so many cultures, art, wildlife and beauty,” she says, adding “AFRICA! Where my heart is…”
Email info@miakora.com for all orders. These designs are copyrighted and belong to Mia Kora so please don’t purchase them from unauthorized agents.
The size of the map is A2 (42cm x 59.4cm), on 260 gsm Satin photo paper.