Though Cape Town is in the heart of winter, Khayelitsha Fashion Week is bringing vibrant energy and creativity to the city. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the event continues to serve as more than just a stylish showcase—it stands as a transformative platform for emerging local talent, offering designers, models, and photographers from Khayelitsha and surrounding areas a prominent stage to debut their most daring and inspired work.
Held at the prestigious Artscape Theatre, this year’s edition underscores the event’s enduring mission to elevate voices that are often overlooked in mainstream fashion. For a decade, Khayelitsha Fashion Week (KFW) has disrupted norms and challenged stereotypes by celebrating the depth of talent found within the township. The event has steadily grown into a symbol of opportunity, inclusion, and artistic pride.
Bongani Matenjwa, Director of Khayelitsha Fashion Week, emphasized the importance of the platform, describing it as a celebration not only of township creatives but of fashion itself. For him, KFW is deeply personal and symbolic, reflecting the richness and diversity of a community that is often marginalized in broader creative conversations.
Matenjwa also highlighted how KFW plays a vital role in bridging the gap for rural and township-based creatives who have had little exposure to the fashion industry. Many of the models featured in the event had never walked a runway before joining KFW. However, with just two months of training, individuals who once saw fashion as an unreachable world are now confidently commanding the catwalk, proving that talent and passion can thrive anywhere when given the chance.
With each passing year, Khayelitsha Fashion Week continues to inspire, uplift, and redefine what South African fashion can be—bold, inclusive, and proudly rooted in community.
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