The SA Fashion Week Student Competition has become one of the most prestigious platforms for emerging fashion designers in South Africa.
Open exclusively to final-year fashion design students from universities and colleges across the country, this competition identifies the next generation of designers who have the potential to revolutionise the fashion industry.
For participants, it serves as an invaluable opportunity to not only showcase their skills but also create brand awareness and carve out a space for themselves in the competitive fashion world.
More than just a design contest, the competition is a stepping-stone for young talent looking to establish successful careers and businesses in fashion.
The Brief: Creativity Meets Sustainability
At the core of the SA Fashion Week Student Competition is a design brief that challenges students to push the boundaries of creativity while emphasizing sustainability, innovation, and practicality. For the 2024 competition, students were tasked with designing a luxury blouse or shirt made from 100% white cotton.
The garments had to be marketable, wearable, and sustainable while allowing room for personalization and creative expression. This simple material became the canvas for limitless possibilities as students were encouraged to play with fabric manipulation techniques, such as pleating, stitching, and embellishing while adhering to the principle of sustainability.
The designs could be rendered in white, black, or any other colour as long as they maintained a dominant white background. Participants were instructed to think outside the box and explore new ways to alter the surface of the fabric through distressing, embroidery, painting, or printing.
One key requirement was that the blouses or shirts had to feature surface texture, ensuring that no plain designs would be considered.
The judging criteria demanded originality, creativity, innovation, and a strong design language, while also considering practical applications of sustainability. Judges wanted to see high fashion that was both stylish and environmentally friendly, ensuring that the future of South African fashion is as planet friendly as it is cutting-edge.
More Than a Contest: The Journey of Learning
What sets the SA Fashion Week Student Competition apart from other design contests is its focus on the journey of learning. For participants, the most important aspect is the process - how they engage with the challenges, expand their skills, and embrace the principles of sustainability in fashion.
The competition allows students to apply their tertiary practice in a real-world setting, pushing their creativity and technical ability to new heights.
As young designers, this experience becomes a vital stepping-stone toward building a successful brand. For the winner, the competition also provides a unique opportunity to move forward in the fashion industry. Apart from a cash prize of R5,000, the winner receives automatic entry into the New Talent Search for 2025, where they will create a full collection for final judging.
This offers a significant platform to further showcase their design prowess and build their career.
A Winning Moment: Lente Lubbinge from STADIO School of Fashion
One such designer who exemplifies the spirit of the competition is Lente Lubbinge from STADIO School of Fashion, the winner of the 2024 competition. Completing her bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design, Lubbinge embraced the opportunity to not only test her skills but also refine them through the competition.
What stood out in her approach was her commitment to sustainability, which she believes is an essential focus for the future of fashion. Through the zero-waste draping technique, she demonstrated that fashion can be both beautiful and environmentally responsible.
Her victory in the competition has given her renewed motivation and confidence in her future as a designer. "Fashion is a way for people to express themselves," Lubbinge said, adding that she hopes her work will empower others to do the same while making a positive impact on the South African fashion industry.
The SA Fashion Week Student Competition continues to serve as a beacon for young fashion designers, providing them with the platform, recognition, and tools they need to forge successful careers while prioritising sustainability and innovation.