Liucilla Booyzen, South African Fashion Week (SAFW) CEO said
that what has carried her through fashion weeks and what she has invested her
life in is the new designs, innovation, ideas and the energies she experiences each
year of it on an interview with Fashion Lab Africa TV.
Fashion weeks provide a billboard platform for designers,
makeup artists, models and ‘all back end’ fashion jobs to express and sell
themselves. They provide market, publicity, networking and they give brands a
larger audience. They bring in business and SAFW has provided this for African
designers for close to 20 years now. During SAFW AW 2018 highlights radio show on
FLA, guests Leon Haasbroek, Operations
& PR Executive, Interior Designer Alan Foley, Eji Benson from
Ennui New York and host Liz Ogumbo gave interesting highlights of the SAFW and
the lessons that can be learnt from the business side of it.
Models play a key part in selling a brand, they highlight
the designer’s craft and tell the story behind a brand making what Leon
Hassbroek calls editing of models crucial when presenting a collection. Modeling
schools and agencies need to be developed as Alan and Leon put it. The schools
and agencies need to be able to provide training on the business side of
modeling. A model’s grooming, walk and work ethic are crucial in selling a
brand. They pointed out that models need to understand fashion weeks and the marketing
platform they provide for them, if they do not meet the market’s standards they
miss on being booked by potential clients.
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| #Denimania by Liz Ogumbo SAFW AW18 |
When asked by Liz Ogumbo on what lacked from designers and
brands from SAFW AW 2018, they expressed that there was need for designers and
brands to understand themselves and to be able to marry the business side of
the industry. Brands and designers need to take advantage of the publicity opportunities
that come with fashion weeks. Buyer’s lounges for instance provide an
opportunity for publicist and buyers to inspect how the products have been made
up close, which in return clings you long term clients for brands. Opening
parties on the other hand not only bring fun but provide a more relaxed
atmosphere for designers to network and sell themselves to publicist,
manufacturers, celebrities and key buyers and designers need to take a hold of
this free publicity to sustainably beat the fashion industry.
Business interactions must make sense for both parties in
order to last and consistent effort and willingness, season after season build
strong, lasting brands. Brands need to stay up to date and to adjust their
presentation to the market’s demands so as to increase customer satisfaction
and commercial success. FLA SAFW AW18 highlights FLA radio show gave
interesting highlights and the leassons to learn from SAFW. Players in all
walks of the fashion business need to have a keen attention to the business
aspect of fashion weeks for a long-lasting success in the industry.
If you’d like to have a listen to the show, check out FLA website as Leon
Haasbroek, Alan Foley, Eji Benson and hosts Liz Ogumbo interestingly give more
highlights on a range of other issues of the SAFW AW18.
