Designers need to link up with business to market their wares

30 Oct '06

5 min read

"The industry has changed and the future lies with smaller, vibrant companies run by young people."

Gottschalk said fashion weeks were targeted at local buyers but that one of the solutions was to run one that would target overseas buyers. One of the subjects that would need to be tackled, though, was the issue of bridging finance.

Stefanie Vieira, the acting manager of the Cape Town Fashion Council and assistant director of the clothing and textile sector of the Western Cape provincial government, said the council project had been started at the end of last year. She said it was an initiative of designers and Wesgro - the trade and investment promotion agency for the Western Cape - to address the frustration caused by fragmentation in the industry.

"It is amazing that the South African government invests in the development of [small businesses] but we can't expect them to be experts in every single sector. At some stage, the dti needs a unified voice or advisory body which represents the industry they are supporting to maximise the outcome of their investment," she said.

Vieira said a panel was needed to advise the dti on what kind of trade fairs to hold and what kind of indicators designers should meet before representing South Africa abroad.

The council comprises five designers, seven industry players, one manufacturer, a representative of Clotex, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, a retailer, the editor of Elle magazine, a provincial government representative and a representative from Wesgro.