SA Fashion Week reveals 'Renault Talent' search finalists

The selected design talents Anmari Honniball, Laz Yani for Cutterier, Hanrie Lues of the Mej Lues label, TAKE CARE, and new label Erre, make for a formidable line-up.

These finalists will have the opportunity to showcase their designs with top models in their creations at the opening show on the catwalk at the SA Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2014 Collections.

The winning designer will receive the full support of SAFW which includes one shared show at the Spring Summer 2014 Collections show, free space in the Buyers Lounge and the SAFW Pop Up Shop as well as a shared show at the Autumn Winter 2014 show. In addition, they will receive R15 000 in cash from Renault South Africa, the use of a Renault Mégane Coupé and representation from The Fashion Agent for one year.

“On behalf of Renault South Africa, I would like to congratulate our finalists and wish them every success in their quest to entrench their own labels in South Africa’s highly competitive fashion arena,” says Fabien Payzan, vice-president of marketing for Renault South Africa.

“As a people centric brand, a key element of Renault’s vision is to support new and emerging talent and with design integral to both cars and couture, we are delighted to be bringing some of our trademark French flair to the table and partnering with SA Fashion Week in the search for new talent.”

The Renault SA Fashion Week New Talent search targets young designers with existing labels explains convenor Dion Chang. “This is not about being a famous designer we want to know whether entrants understand the industry.

“There’s more to the competition than a good portfolio,” concurs Payzan. “Fashion is a business like any other and a key criterion for each of the entrants was to provide us with a strategy on how they intended to build their brand.”

“All that can be revealed at this stage is that the Renault South Africa challenge is specifically conceptualised to ensure the finalists compete, showing their individual handwriting, rather than designing for a prescribed theme which all other design competitions do,” says Payzan Headed up by Dion Chang, the competition’s judging panel includes Sandra Rogers, executive manager Trend and Design at Edcon, Jacques vander Watt, designer for Black Coffee, The Fashion Agent’s Annette Pringle, as well as Renault South Africa’s Lee – Anne Stanton, Nkhensani Nkosi of Stoned Cherrie, Rahim Rawjee from ROW- G and Lucilla Booyzen, director of SAFW.

Click here to read about designers

South African Fashion Week