Durban Fashion Fair is here!

Durban is buzzing with fashionistas as the Durban Fashion Fair swings into action this weekend.

 

This annual event is gaining great momentum as a platform for Durban designers to showcase their creativity along with other esteemed South African designers.

 

This year the most exciting aspect of the DFF is the very exclusive Buyers Lounge, which hosts top local and international buyers and gives local designers the opportunity to interact and market their brands. The idea is to hopefully lead to some great retail partnerships.

 

With the news of the highly respected Tiaan Nagel closing his studio doors this week, one can only hope that independent designers and retail conglomerates can look at working side by side. We have seen great success with David Tlale and his collection for Legit while Mr. Price also offer a similar programme with their Elle New Talent search - and on an international scale retailers like Topshop pair with young designers regularly.

 

 

 

 

(Above: A taste of what we can look forward to over the next few days) 

 

For the rest of us mere mortals not involved in the business aspect of DFF, simply looking for pretty things to see and wear, we shall be just as spoilt with back-to-back shows all weekend. Tickets can be purchased from Computicket and the full itinerary of events can be found here. 

 

I am particularly excited for tonight’s shows. Durban design interns who have recently completed their internships in Milan, Italy, are back to show us what they learnt. That gets underway at 4pm. They will be followed by a powerhouse of Durban designers: Colleen Eitzen, Leigh Schubert, Kathryn Kidger and Terrance Bray. Tomorrow, the king of glamour David Tlale will be first up with some other huge names - Gert Johan Coetzee, Ruff Tung and Black Coffee.

 

Get out your stilettos, beg, borrow or steal something outlandish to wear and I’ll see you in the FROW X

 

- Miss Buttons