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My experience at South African Fashion Week – April 2018 #SS18

Hi Bonfiders!

By now, I’m sure you all know that I attended Fashion Week this season, I pretty much spammed my social media platforms with photos, videos and some stories. So let me share a more formal discussion about my week in Sandton.

First things first, the Venue

The thing about SAFW organisers is, they know that the attendees at fashion week is all about snapping those bomb photos at the venue and taking consistent portrait shots of every outfit from the first to the last show. SAFW brings the heat every season with the most beautiful, photo ready props and views!

From the incredible sunsets on the rooftop, to well-lit backdrops that jump out at ya, to perfect monochrome drapping of statement backdrops for those model-esq portraits. With photographers crawling the grounds to catch those fashionistas in their natural habitat. SAFW is wild; like those NATGEO scenes in the wild, where all the animals are at the waterhole…basically the same. The place is swarming with people and everyone is photo ready!

They usually hook us up with some delicious treats from Woolies and some bubbly Appletisers/ fashion drinks and cosy yet stylish sitting areas to keep the guests comfy.

The auditorium this season was somewhat more spacious and it is still very cool to me how each show comes together. All the elements working together so perfectly, from the catwalk, to the music selection and lighting. I always watch the videos from Fashion Weeks around the world, and I think we have a very special set up… it makes the entire experience so much more worthwhile.

The seating arrangements are always somewhat the talk of the town and the fashion goers scoring that front seat is all the rage! #FROW

Next, let’s talk about the Celebrities

This year, I feel like there weren’t as many local celebrities at SAFW, unless I didn’t really have a chance to look around. To be honest, I am not really up to speed when it comes to the who’s who of local celebrities and I feel like these days, everyone is kind of becoming their own stars. #thanksInstagram

There were definitely a few people rocking out with some designer wear and some creative pieces, I love that people were somewhat more comfortable in their looks. Unless my feels were all in the right place this season? You know what they say, you attract the same vibes you send out and I’ve finally found my comfort zone when it comes to my unique style and well, comfort.

The Shows/ The Designers

Fashion week designers are there to showcase their incredible talent and artistic ideas. Many times the pieces aren’t particularly wearable and sometimes they down-right confuse me. I thought maybe I am just not fashion forward enough to understand the idea and inspiration behind the pieces. But recently it has become somewhat more wearable and there are definite pieces I could see myself in, in each collection. I love the unusual pieces, I also really love the classic pieces, but sometimes those trendy items speak volumes. Or maybe I final understand fashion…

To be able to enjoy what you wear and realising that we are what we wear.

I think there is such a fine line where fashion is fun and where it is a judgement call. There are so many people that think that we have to dress a certain way to fit into society but when it comes to feeling good in an item and feeling free, it is as though the caterpillar is finally stretching its wings out and becoming the butterfly.

Somebody once said, they don’t have time or effort to actually have a style. But that unkempt, untidy lack of style is also in a way the style you’re in? So why not just explore what you’re comfortable with and have fun with it. Do it for you and forget what others think and you will get there a lot faster.

Designer wear is surprisingly not as expensive and over-the-top as you might think it is. A lot of the time people won’t even step foot into a store because the store ‘looks’ expensive. But quality is many times worth the price you pay. I’m all about a good sale piece that is super trendy because that is the thing about trends, tomorrow there will be a new one and that piece would be laying in your wardrobe waiting for another day. But when it comes to those beautiful classic pieces, investing in something that you will wear for years, if not decades, is definitely a better buy.

Some of the designers at SAFW are showcasing for the first time and their prices are incredibly reasonable. Check out the pieces at the Sandton City Designer Pop Up starting the first week of May and will be there for a few days. Designers will be showcasing some of their clothing, jewellery and shoes and you get to be one of the first to shop these items.

The Overall Vibe of South African Fashion Week

I think that if you attend for the love of fashion and to enjoy the experience of mingling with the IT GIRLS and GUYS of the fashion world, then you will have an incredible time. If you attend for people to notice you, for you to be the centre of attention or to compete with the finest of the fashion industry, then you will probably not enjoy your experience at all.

I’ve noticed a few people who reckons fashion week just doesn’t live up to the hype of it all, but most times it is because not enough photographers were falling over their outfits, or because no designers engaged with them because they were the muse they have been searching for and well… they just didn’t feel important enough.

Freedom from the opinions of others, start at the end of caring what others think of them. To be honest, even the most influential people second-guess their outfit choices and wonder if the reason nobody has complimented them is because they look less than perfect; but honestly, people are usually more concerned about how great they look, rather than those around them. In some weird way, it kind of humbles you.

I know I’m like the spokesperson for being your own muse and feeling enough but honestly it makes such a difference when it comes to the experiences you have in life. I spoke to some of the most incredible people at fashion week who also felt a little bit off beat because they gave into the negative power of, for lack of a better word, haters. It blows my mind because there is SO much beauty in being different and unique and celebrating your successes in life. There are so many things that we do differently to others and besides being incredible to have thought up something so different, it’s also unique to you. It makes you stand out… and that is the purpose of life, certainly not to fit in. We give way too much power to those negative thoughts about not being good enough and not celebrating our successes enough. We worry too much about the experiences that we miss out on that we forget to appreciate all those amazing achievements we have worked so hard for.

Before I go on a tangent about how much better it is for you to stay true and be you. . . I also created a short vlog so that you can kind of experience SAFW through my point of view.

Please check it out here.