Spring has sprung - a leak. In its usual fashion, the advent of 1 September (otherwise known as Spring Day) has brought with it a torrential downpour to the west coast, while the north of the country begs for the wet weather to douse the fires that have been ripping through its veld this weekend. Pick n Pay Hypermarket in Ottery, CT, has been left in the cold after its roof collapsed under the strain of the wind; and a CT CBD gym has also reportedly undergone random weather-related renovations as it too lost its roof over the weekend. But regardless of spring swinging its sodden skirt all over this part of the country, the fashion world has soldiered on with the recent announcement of the Foschini Annual Design student awards, as well as the wrap up of Sanlam SA Fashion Week and the fashion journo awards in Joburg last week. Although one may say the launch of Spring/Summer lines may be a little ambitious, I'm sure the winter sales are going down a storm... Happy Spring everybody!

Shan Radcliffe, Retail editor retailnews@bizcommunity.com Responses to this column welcomed in our new online editor's column archive.