EVENT UPDATE: SOUTH AFRICAN FASHION WEEK KICKS OFF IN OCTOBER 3

A feast of all things fashionably local will be on the menu again at the South African Fashion Week’s Autumn/Winter 2014 Collections at the Crowne Plaza - Rosebank Johannesburg from 3 - 5 October 2013 followed by the SAFW Buyers Lounge from 6 – 7 October 2013.
Showcasing the seasonal collections of leading local designers and brands such as Rubicon, Clive Rundle, Naked Ape, Albertus Swanepoel and Colleen Eitzen, also include several other fashion-industry related events.
First up on opening night is the much-anticipated SAFW Renault New Talent Search which will unveil the collections of the semi-finalists in the running for this prestigious accolade.
Former winners include several industry luminaries such as David Tlale, Anisa Mpungwe, Marize Malan and Cleo Droomer and this year’s winner will again receive a bumper prize. This will include the use of a Renault Megane for a year, participation in the SAFW S/S14 Collections, representation by The Fashion Agent for a year and the opportunity to attend Berlin Fashion Week in June 2014 as a guest of Lufthansa.
Also on the programme is the launch collections of the six new start-ups currently participating in the inaugural Kwa-Zulu Natal Fashion Council Capacity Building Program, an innovative collaboration between SA Fashion Week and the Kwa-Zulu Natal Fashion Council (KZNFC) to fast-track retail ready designers by mentoring them to bridge the gap between their design skills and business knowledge.
Two of the participants that will be showing collections are Claire Mackenzie, the recent recipient of the KZNFC Top Designer Award at the Golden Horse Sprint Race Day and Casey Jeanne, the winner of the KZNFC Top Designer Award at the Vodacom Durban July this year.
Another highlight will be the the gorgeous, yet comfortable, sleepwear by the ten finalists of the 2013 Crowne Plaza Sleepwear Design Competition.
To be judged by trend analyst Dion Chang, Sandra Rogers who heads up the trend and design team at Edgars, Nkhensani Nkosi from Stoned Cherrie and respected neurophysiologist, dr. Neera Bhikha, the overall winner will receive a cash prize of R10 000 and have their collection displayed at the hotel for the duration of SA Fashion Week A/W 2014 Collections.
Nedbank will be using the SAFW A/W14 platform to highlight its support of the Small Medium Enterprise (SMME) sector.
“We see our association with SA Fashion Week as an extension of our Vote Small Business initiative which aims to create an environment in which small businesses can thrive,” says  Alan Shannon, Head of Strategy, Marketing and Communications at Nedbank.
“SAFW forms a part of our on-going focus to partner small businesses for a greater South Africa. We are delighted to be associated with South Africa’s premier fashion spectacle which plays such a significant role in the growth of the industry.”
Motions and TRESemmé remain the official hair sponsors of SAFW A/W14 Collections, Edgars continues their support of the SAFW retail development project with the Edgars X SAFW Capsule Collections in Edgars Melrose Arch and Sandton and Jameson will host SAFW Official Autumn Winter After Party.
International fashion celebrities in attendance this year will include Judith Watt, the author of Alexander McQueen: The Life and Legacy, Swiss street-style fashion maven, Yvan Rodic aka Face Hunter and Mara Capp, the director of make-up at New York Fashion Week.
Source: fibre2fashion.com