SOUTH AFRICA FASHION WEEK A/W 2025

by Cecile Paul · Published October 10, 2024 · Updated October 10, 2024

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VIVIERS, MANTSHO, ERRE, ESSIE APPAREL, SOBER, THABO MAKHETHA, ARTHO EKSTEEN, IMPRINT, GERT JOHAN COETZEE, SINCHUI, SIXX6 and WAALID.

Audacious Patterning and Riotous Colour set the Tone for a Season of Joyous & Bold Statements under the African Sun.

At Gert-Johan Coetzee

Image Credit South Africa Fashion Week (www.safashionweek.co.za)

@safashionweek

Which European designer doesn’t look to Africa for inspiration year after year?

No doubt African fashion with its vibrancy, joy and boldness has always been a point of reference for global fashion, but it’s also rapidly becoming one of the key areas for new growth in the fashion industry.

Hence the eyes of the world are peeled on the bi-annual South African Fashion Week for spotting new talent and also to appreciate the stalwarts of the South African fashion industry that go from strength to strength, many now regularly invited to show at the global fashion weeks of Paris and Milan.

The collections for A/W 2025 oozed, as ever, joy, fun and happy days! They shouted with unbound energy and displayed refreshing, novel creativity. The confident use of fearlessly bright colours and bold patterning reflected the sunny climes of the continent and its southern tip. No ensemble is ever too bright under the African sun!

The ethos across the board at all the collections was one of shunning fast fashion and embracing slow fashion, the emphasis in all collections an acute awareness of the fashion industry’s moral duty to preserving the planet

Sit back and take in our hand-picked selection of a few of the top brands at South Africa Fashion Week. Just to add to all the fun we’re also giving you a little insider’s glimpse of all the commotion behind the scenes, front row and on the runway! Enjoy!

At Sober

VIVIERS

@viviers.studio

Undoubtedly one of the brightest stars on the highly competitive South African designer horizon is iconic Johannesburg brand Viviers who has been taking their African offering to Milan Fashion Week over the past few seasons.

This extraordinary AW 2025 collection entitled ‘Disclosure’ yet again showcases the brand’s unmistakable signature with a tactile collage of touchy-feely textiles, floaty avant-garde silhouettes and uncanny colour combinations.

These rather contemplative pieces elicit the desire to seek “the truth”, according to the founder, Lezanne Viviers, and invites the wearer – and the fashion world – to “step into a new era of transparency, an era where the truth sets us free”; this is an open invitation to the fashion industry to turn towards the creation of slow, hand-crafted garments instead of fast fashion.

Flimsy ensembles constructed of layers of transparent chiffon, organza and lace, accentuated with decorative piping and embroidery are juxtaposed with masterful strokes of traditional tailoring.

New-age shapes, cutouts, sculptural 3-D applications and spacey metallics make for a range with so much inherent complexity and contrast that it literally stops one dead in your tracks: these pieces are both delicate and robust, fire and water, air and earth.

There may be differences in interpreting these works of crafty art, but what’s for sure is that every single piece is infinitely covetable.

At Viviers

GERT-JOHAN COETZEE

@gertjohancoetzee

Gert-Johan Coetzee is a celebrity himself – and celebrity designer to the who’s who in South African business, politics and high society.

Think red-carpet events, and Gert-Johan Coetzee is your go-to. Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters is just one of many of his acclaimed A-listers and Grammy nominees. Others include Cardi B and Kourtney Kardashian.

Gert-Johan Coetzee’s clothes are glamorous with a capital G! Exotic and unapologetically African-inspired, they ooze sexiness and sophistication in equal measure. Known for his animal prints and extraordinary beading effects, this A/W collection was daringly bold in its patterning, textures and shapes.

We adore the upside-down birds’ nest hat almost as much as the iconic origami trousers!

At Gert-Johan Coetzee

SOBER

@soberdesignhouse

An unapologetic celebration of the female form is this A/W offering by designer Tshepo Mafokwane for Sober.

Subtle marbled surface design rubs shoulders with bold patterning, romantic tiered skirts, peplums and voluminous sleeves flatter and seduce and the subtle layering emphasises the femininity of these pieces.

Every piece is rich, unique and caters for the woman who wants to feel confident, elegant and sophisticated.

Sober has spread their wings to adorn prestigious fashion events throughout the African continent and Middle East, and can be found in luxury boutiques. Look out for this subtle taste of Africa!

At Sober

ERRE

@errefashion

The power design duo behind luxury brand ERRE dress celebrities and royals alike – from South African divas to Princess Charlene of Monaco.

ERRE’s signature silhouette is strong and classic, shapely and flattering, bold, vibrant and monochromatic. They’re masters of subtle power-dressing that effortlessly enhance most body shapes and sizes.

We adore the drama and theatre embedded in every piece: flair sleeves, peplums, capes, asymmetry and body hugging silhouettes with their nipped waists are the vernacular of this uber-sophisticated label.

At ERRE

MANTSHO

@palesamobuking

Known for her epic silhouettes (and collaborations with the likes of H&M) designer Palesa Mobukung has a huge global following of women who adore her inimitable style.

Mantsho’s muse is a strong, contemporary African woman at any stage in her life, wanting to look authentic, elegant, sophisticated and gracious.

This A/W 2025 collection is a tribute to that ethos, and the jewel-like shades of the pieces together with the uncanny combinations of tweed and tulle in one ensemble, the stripes, voluminous tiered skirts, detailed sleeves and cinched waists are beyond striking.

Each of these pieces is truly fit for an African queen!

At Mantsho

ARTHO EKSTEEN

@arthoeksteen

Cape Town-based Artho Eksteen is known for his quirky and otherworldly collections, always aiming to transport the wearer of his clothes to a magical fantasy world, characterized by exotic textures, prints and patterns.

This A/W collection aptly entitled ‘Pond’ takes its inspiration from watery landscapes, celebrating the delicate balance of the natural world. We simply adore the recurring water lily theme on its bed of sea green – how tranquil!

At Artho Eksteen

ESSIE APPAREL

@essie_apparel

These are pieces that tell stories, and this collection is inspired by Zulu Heaven or “AmaZulu”, the theme of the A/W 2025 collection.

In the vibrant tapestry of South African culture where diverse threads of heritage and tradition are woven together to create fashion, Essie Apparel is the perfect fusion of traditional Pan-African inspiration and contemporary style.

Every piece is reminiscent of endless blue African skies, the warm sun and the abundance of fauna and flora in South Africa. Bold animal prints take center stage, and sharp, modern tailoring – nipped-in-the-waist jackets, tuxedos, kilts, skirts and shorts – finishes off every look to “wow-ness”!

At Essie Apparel

SINCHUI

@safashionweek

This hip Cape Town-based street fashion brand spearheaded by Robyn Agulhus is inspired by the legacy of District Six (where traditionally much of the textile and clothing manufacturing industry used to be situated), the unique South African music scene and gritty South African fashion as seen on the streets.

We adore the way an old fashion faithful, denim, got the star treatment, with dye effects, top-stitching, piping and layering, all adding to the complexity of this fun young range.

At Sinchui

SIXX6

@sixx6_x

Young designer Mimangaliso Ndiko created a range of bold prints juxtaposed with pieces that are monochromatic and striking in silhouette for A/W 2025.

Transparent organza – ruched or layered – adds complexity to this fabulous capsule collection, making the argument for choosing slow fashion, versatility and longevity.

At Sixx6

IMPRINT

@imprint_za

Few brands embody the spirit of South African style as effortlessly and effectively as Imprint. A much beloved local and international brand known for their innovative patterning and prints, this collection pays homage to what has been before.

Joyful, bold and vibrant, the colourways this season – yellow, black, blue and red – inspire and invite the wearer to mix and match and invest in pieces that will work well with previous seasons’ offerings.

This range is for sun-worshippers, for sunset-cocktail parties – and for the red carpet!

We adore the ‘halo-ed’ hats!

At Imprint

THABO MAKHETHA

@tmakcc

A designer who has made an indelible mark on the South African fashion scene over the past few years is Cape Town-based Thabo Makhetha.

Thabo draws inspiration from her Basotho heritage, where the exquisitely woven blankets that often appear in her collections, are the ultimate iconic fashionable, warming and comforting items of the people.

Her A/W 2025 collection entitled ‘Pheteho2.0’ draws on this rich cultural legacy, and delivers pieces that are contemporary, modern and highly versatile.

These garments are made to enable their wearer to, according to the designer, “transfer, transform and transcend” into many distinct looks. Boxy jackets, mini capelets, waistcoats, statement shawls and crown-like hats are the key pieces in this super cosy – and super covetable – collection.

At Thabo Makhetha

WAALID

@waalid_unofficial

Mohammed Waalid’s ‘The Sport of Kings’ A/W 2025 collection celebrates modern streetwear to the full.

This tactile, textured and rich collection aptly blends the regal essence of 16^th century Mughal polo with South African streetwear.

Denim, in particular, was striking in the coats and kilts, and faux fur, pleather and stretch tulle also added to the tactility of this range. Seriously cool, seriously wearable stuff!