South African fashion is about to take centre stage again.
For 29 years, South African Fashion Week has championed contemporary urban individuality. Now, its AW27 Collections are set to bring that identity back to the runway with a season built around something fundamental: the hand.
From couture and tailoring to menswear, streetwear, heritage, craft and contemporary African design, the AW27 lineup presents a broad picture of South African fashion today.
The collections will take place at The Forum, Hyde Park Corner, from 21 to 25 October 2026, bringing established designers together with a new generation preparing to step onto the runway.
And at the heart of it all is craftsmanship.
The power of the hand
At a time when global fashion is often driven by speed and scale, SAFW AW27 turns attention to the work that happens by hand.
Cutting.
Construction.
Finishing.
Surface work.
These are the details that shape a garment before it ever reaches the runway.
SAFW says this craftsmanship is made by skilled hands in South African workrooms. It is also part of what the platform believes sets South African design apart internationally.
For Lucilla Booyzen, Founder of South African Fashion Week, supporting those skills is essential to building the future of the industry.
“SAFW has always believed a sustainable, designer-led fashion industry must be built from the bottom up. Strengthening education and skills ultimately strengthens the entire value chain.”
That philosophy runs through the AW27 season.
It connects the classroom to the workroom, emerging talent to established designers, and creative ideas to the people who turn them into finished fashion.
Established names meet new voices
The AW27 lineup reflects a fashion industry at different stages of its journey.
There are designers with decades of experience.
There are fresh creative voices.
And there are designers preparing to show on the SAFW runway for the first time.
David Tlale returns to SAFW with his AW27 collection, while also introducing Interns by David Tlale. The platform will present the collections of five young designers on one stage.
The release states that Tlale’s presentation takes place on Tuesday, 20 October.
Meanwhile, Black Coffee unveils Unfolding, HELON MELON presents Helon Melon Always On, and Ephymol explores The Rebirth of Slow Classic.
Sober Design House marks 20 years of timeless fashion with The Next Chapter.
TRRR…PHAAA! presents The New Resonance, while Colleen Eitzen returns with Origin.
The programme continues with Fundudzi by Craig Jacobs, presenting The New Earth – An Exploration of Transformation: Landscapes Shaped by Time – What We Wear Another Life.
Thabo Makhetha presents Eako, Eahao (What’s Mine Is Yours).
INSYD/OWT Creatives presents Living a Creative Reality, while Dali Ngcebetsha explores Metamorphosis.
Irene Makhavhu presents Tshedza, meaning light.
Ana Nunes presents her ANUNES collection, EKWIKWI – Soma Irene.
And Emelia D returns to the runway after winning the SS26 Scouting Menswear Competition.
A new generation steps forward
The future of South African fashion also takes a prominent place during AW27.
The SAFW New Talent Search Powered by J.C. Le Roux introduces emerging designers to the platform.
The media release names Khangwelo Nemukongwe, Kwanga Qusheka, Lindokuhle Hopewell, Martin Steenkamp, Michael Peter Reid, Mikhail Brown, Sihle Khumalo and Zane Samuels.
The release refers to the initiative as introducing nine emerging designers, while naming eight designers in the supplied list.
Rather than simply placing new talent in front of an audience, SAFW’s wider platform connects fashion education and emerging talent with mentorship, manufacturing, media, retail and market opportunities.
That creates a pathway between creative potential and the wider fashion industry.
Field to Fashion
On Saturday evening, 24 October, SAFW will bring a different energy to the runway with Field to Fashion.
The presentation will take place in the penultimate show of the season, adding another chapter to an AW27 programme centred on South African creativity.
Then comes the final statement.
Gert-Johan Coetzee closes AW27
The AW27 Collections close on Sunday, 25 October with Gert-Johan Coetzee.
One of South Africa’s most loved designers, Coetzee has brought South African fashion to international audiences through his red-carpet work.
He will close the week with his collection, Reflection.
It is a fitting final chapter for a season looking across generations of South African fashion while keeping its focus firmly on local creativity and craftsmanship.
Partnerships supporting the industry
Behind the runway is also a network of partners supporting the wider platform.
SAFW thanks Primedia, 947, 702, J.C. Le Roux, BioMedical Emporium, NARS and Carlton Hair for their continued support.
The platform says these partnerships are increasingly important to the future of South African fashion.
For SAFW, a meaningful partnership starts with shared values and an understanding of what the platform represents. It must create value for partners while also opening opportunities for South African designers and supporting the wider industry.
J.C. Le Roux’s partnership is also reflected through the SAFW New Talent Search Powered by J.C. Le Roux.
Kim Brandt, Brand Manager: Wines, said:
“JC Le Roux is proud to partner with South African Fashion Week, a platform that celebrates the originality, talent and entrepreneurial spirit of South African designers.”
She added that the brands share a connection to celebration, fashion and local creativity.
BioMedical Emporium joins as skincare partner
SAFW has also welcomed BioMedical Emporium as its Official Skincare Partner.
The South African, female-founded business is described by SAFW as a natural fit for the platform.
Dr Judey Pretorius, Founder and Dermatological Biochemist at BioMedical Emporium, said the partnership connects with the relationship between fashion, presentation and confidence.
“Fashion celebrates how we present ourselves to the world, and BioMedical Emporium exists to make sure the skin beneath it is as strong and healthy as the confidence it carries.”
The partnership adds another South African creative and beauty connection to the AW27 season.
29 years of South African fashion
South African Fashion Week was founded in Johannesburg in 1997.
For nearly three decades, it has operated as a designer-led industry platform connecting fashion education, emerging talent and established designers with mentorship, manufacturing, media, retail and market opportunities.
AW27 continues that model.
It brings established names and emerging voices together.
It places craftsmanship at the centre.
And it puts the spotlight on the people, skills and creative thinking shaping South African fashion.
For 29 years, SAFW has documented contemporary urban individuality.
This October, that story returns to the runway — one carefully constructed piece at a time.
