WATCH: Soweto Fashion Week a platform for people of ardent zeal

The Soweto Fashion Week (SFW) is dedicated to empowering the community of Jabulani and the other surrounding communities’ fashion devotees who were privileged to be provided the opportunity to showcase what they can do with the cotton and fabric.

From May 24 till May 28, the Soweto Theatre hosted the Soweto Fashion Week, with the theme ‘black and white’.

The “Black and White” theme suited the show as it aims at covering the gap in the fashion industry and combining theatre with fashion.

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The SFW Brand Manager Mpume Ngwenya explained that they are doing this event mainly to, “Focus on upcoming, undiscovered designers and models, ‘diamonds in the rough,’ without excluding any established models or designers from showcasing their styles and that includes the veteran designers such as Freshwear who focused on kiddies range this season.”

At the Soweto Theatre, on May 24 until May 27 the doors opened at 7 pm and on May 28 there were pop-up shops where designers got to sell their garments, it started at 10 am till 5 pm the same day.

• What is the show aimed to achieve: Soweto Fashion Week aims to empower and develop their models and designers to be the best they are meant to be, the show aims to assist them to reach greater heights and conquer the unique parts or markets of the industry that they cater for and to also make an impact across the globe.

• How long has it been running: Soweto Fashion Week was founded in 2011 by Stephen Manzini, therefore it’s in its 6th year.

• What is there for the participants or models: According to Ngwenya, “We cast models and designers ourselves, with the understanding of what the fashion industry is looking for. The participants get trained further to model by our producers and choreographers and we have the workshop Indaba for designers where we groom them further as well other ventures such as travelling abroad for skill expansion and to understand the industry holistically.”

• Who is running the event and who has the FSW partnered with: The Soweto Fashion Week team runs the event, the team consists of Stephen Manzini (The SFW Founder), Velly Ngugi Vere (Creative Director), Kgomotso Seboko (Choreographer/Producer), Mpume Ngwenya (The Brand Manager) and this season they are also working with Serge Kabisoso a choreographer and producer, SFW’s long-standing partners and principle sponsor, Darling Hair, Joburg Tourism, Soweto TV, Gauteng Tourism, ZeeWorld, Soweto Theatre and our their new partners, Mail & Guardian and Cape Brewing Company (CBC) that specialises in craft beers.

• What motivated the event and why bring it to the Soweto Theatre: Soweto has a global reputation by now and the initial motivation for the event was the demographic gap in the industry that the founder, Stephen Manzini, recognised, so he took initiative to explore it and ceased the moment.