The South African fashion scene is, once again, set to receive international exposure as 10 designers are being called to showcase their work at Milan Fashion Week in 2024. This opportunity for local designers comes after a collaboration among the Department of Small Business Development, the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), and The Fashion Firm , alongside other private entities. The programme, which started in 2019 with just two designers being flown to Milan by Tumi Buys, the founder of The Fashion Firm and the visionary behind this initiative, is looking for prepared designers with a unique offering.
In selecting the 2024 cohort, Buys said while they are not looking for brands to reinvent the wheel, applicants must be truly unique and compelling. "We need a brand that has a very strong DNA," she told News24. "We're looking for something fresh.
Something that has a very strong creative direction." Other requirements that applicants must meet include: Buys also highlighted the importance of having an up-to-date look book consisting of a Spring/Summer 2024/2025 collection along with their brand profile, which they will be required to submit. "Whenever a designer says they don't have a lookbook, I'm like, 'No, but the lookbook is extremely important because we're going to use it to create an order book for all the designers and [potential clients] participating'.
" While they aren't required to be emerging designers according to international standards—requiring t.
