2012 Durban Fashion Fair becomes stand-alone event, fashion workshop

Sim Tshabalala, Sindi Shangase, Derrick Mhlongo, Pearl Mzimela and Ntokozo Kunene recently seen judging the fashion storyboards received by hundreds of designers who entered this year’s eThekwini Municipality Business Support, Tourism and Markets Unit Durban Fashion Fair which is to be held on Friday, September 21st at the Durban Exhibition Centre. Picture: S&A Marketing

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Its theme, 'Today's Past is Tomorrow's Future', includes four fashion shows, which will showcase various designer categories - Young Designers, Emerging Designers and Invited Designers and a collection by this year's International Invited Designer, Massimo Crivelli from Milan, Italy.

The theme has not only been chosen to pay homage to the rich legacy of South African fashion and design but also to inspire emerging talents to be open up to future trends and developments within the field of design.

The Young Designer show will run from 2.30pm, the Emerging Designer show from 4.30pm, the Invited Designer show from 6.30pm and the International Invited Designer show from 8.30pm.

Workshop, business fair

Behind the scenes, the eThekwini Municipality hold a five-day business workshop and conference for emerging SMME designers 15-21 September, presented by internationally acclaimed stylist, Helene Blignaut. This will be followed by the annual Durban Business Fair, from 21-24 September, which will include a fashion pavilion that will promote over 30 designers.

With a strong belief that promoting Durban designers cannot stop at the end of the runway, Sindi Shangase, business support program manager for the eThekwini Municipality business support, tourism and markets unit, says that an on-going fashion academy and international internship programme will see successful candidates that perform well during the business workshop making their way to Italy for a two-month long programme that will hone their skills for the fashion industry.

"What better way to promote local designers, link the creative industries to local and international retail opportunities, access international markets and train emerging designers than by holding workshops that can create a real sense of the 'business of fashion'? This is a sector that is not just about looking good but doing good business in every sense of those words," she says.

She says she expects the Durban Fashion Fair to become an iconic annual event on the designers' calendars and a week of fashion inspiration, for which the city will be known.

For more information, go to www.facebook.com/DurbanFashionFair or follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/DbnFashionFair.